Today, July 4th, I used my “independence” to do some spiritual reading.\u00a0 The insights I am about to share are not my own but come from Dr. Edward Sri.\u00a0 I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by him in March.\u00a0 I enjoyed his presentation so I picked up two or three of his books.<\/p>\n
I am currently reading his book\u00a0Love Unveiled: The Catholic Faith Explained<\/em> (Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 2015).\u00a0 I just read chapter 8, which is entitled “Mary and the Saints.”\u00a0 There are two areas in this chapter that gave me new insight into our Catholic beliefs about Mary.<\/p>\n The first is found on pages 138-141 in a section he entitled, “Treat her like a Queen?”.\u00a0 We call Mary Queen of Heaven.\u00a0 I have always accepted the title of “queen” for Mary without understanding why we would call her “Queen.”\u00a0 I have always thought that the queen was the wife of the king.<\/p>\n Dr. Sri explains how in the culture of the Old Testament, it was\u00a0not\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>the wife of the king that was called Queen.\u00a0 It was the king’s mother.\u00a0 Dr. Sri first points to 2 Kings 24:12 and Jeremiah 13:18-20 to where we can find “mother as queen” in the Bible.\u00a0 He also tells us about people going to the “queen mother” for her intercession.\u00a0 Does this not point to Mary?\u00a0 She is mother of Jesus our King so she is queen.\u00a0 In her role as queen and mother we ask for her intercession.<\/p>\n To develop this identity of the mother of the king as queen and the authority that goes with it, Dr. Sri then points to the first and second chapter in the First Book of Kings.\u00a0 In chapter 1, King David is still alive and Bathsheba is his wife.\u00a0 The passage shows how, even as the king’s wife, Bathsheba has to bow and give homage to King David before approaching him.<\/p>\n In chapter 2, King David has died and his son Solomon is now king.\u00a0 This means Bathsheba is now the mother of the king.\u00a0 The passage goes on to explain the role and authority she has as queen.<\/p>\n Now, I turn to the second insight I received from Dr. Sri’s book today.\u00a0 As Catholics, we call Mary the “Blessed Virgin.”\u00a0 Our Catholic faith teaches that Mary was virgin before Jesus was born\u00a0and\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>after.\u00a0 Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters agree that Mary was a virgin until Jesus’ birth but not after.\u00a0 One of the places they turn to for this are the passages in the gospels that refer to Jesus’ brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n Dr. Sri addresses this on pages 150-151 in a section he entitled, “Jesus’ Brothers?”\u00a0 He provides two answers to how Mary can be ever-virgin while Jesus’ has brothers and sisters.\u00a0 Before presenting his two answers, I will offer briefly another response I have heard regarding Jesus having brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n Some speculate that it is a reference to step-siblings that Jesus had from a previous marriage of Joseph.\u00a0 This is not in the Bible but both of Dr. Sri’s answers are biblical.\u00a0 The first I learned in seminary.\u00a0 The Greek word used for “brother” in these passages is not restricted to “brother” as having the same biological father and mother.\u00a0 It is often used (he gives examples) for cousins and other extended relatives.<\/p>\n I fully accept these as valid responses to the question of Mary remaining a virgin while Jesus has brothers and sisters.\u00a0 However, Protestants are not likely to embrace this alone.\u00a0 How are we to know whether the relatives of Jesus are brothers or cousins or other relatives?<\/p>\n What Dr. Sri does next is a great answer to show that Jesus did not have brothers and sisters as we think of them (not extended family).\u00a0 He turns to John 19:25-27 where Mary and the beloved disciple are at the foot of the Cross as Jesus is crucified.\u00a0 It is there that Jesus says to the disciple, “Behold your mother.”\u00a0 In doing so, he is telling the beloved disciple to care for Mary as his own mother.\u00a0 If Jesus had had brothers and sisters, they would have been the ones responsible for caring for Mary.\u00a0 Thus, Dr. Sri presents this as evidence that Jesus did not have brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n I am grateful for these insights.\u00a0 It shows the importance of continuing to learn more about our faith.\u00a0 I am at my best when I can find time to learn more about what our faith teaches to share it with others and to grow in my own faith.<\/p>\n Peace,<\/p>\n Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today, July 4th, I used my “independence” to do some spiritual reading.\u00a0 The insights I am about to share are not my own but come from Dr. Edward Sri.\u00a0 I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by him in March.\u00a0 I enjoyed his presentation so I picked up two or three of his books. …<\/p>\n