As a medievalist, I’ve always loved the Marian apocryphal stories best. My favorite is the Questions of Bartholomew in the Gnostic Gospels. When Bart asks Mary how her womb could contain the universe, she warns him that if she spoke of it fire would shoot out of her eyes and mouth and blow the place up. But then she instructs all the apostles to surround her and hold her down while she speaks to keep her from exploding. And sure enough, as she starts describing the Incarnation, fire shoots out of her mouth & earthquakes rumble, so Jesus appears to order her to stop. Fascinating text which I’m sure you know a lot more about than I do! http://www.gnosis.org/library/gosbart.htm
Love this, but one small quibble. When you're explaining Athanasius, the way you've phrased it could be misread to imply that Jesus did not have a human soul. I know that's not what you meant since you quoted him as saying Christ is "completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh." (let's not go down the rabbit hole of two Natures or one Nature LOL). I love your talking about the relationship between Jesus and Mary. It reminds me of that FANTASTIC painting "Christ Discovered in the Temple" by Simone Martini which shows a very petulant Jesus miffed at his parents. Here's a link: https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w800h800/collection/NML/WARG/NML_WARG_WAG_2787-001.jpg
Thank you for this, Father Nathan. I was raised in the Southern Baptist tradition by an ordained minister and was taught from childhood that the Catholics were going to hell and that Mary worship was probably Reason #2 with Reason #1 being Christ's being left hanging... Living in Mexico in the late 70s and early 80s as the son of Baptist missionaries did little to change this thought pattern since Mexican Catholics hated evangelicals as much as evangelicals hated Catholics to the point where evangelicals often found themselves stoned in public squares with real rocks. Had the evangelicals had the numbers, I'm sure retribution would have been just as bloody. Fast-forward a couple of decades and this year I'll celebrate 17 years of wedded bliss with my wife who incidentally, was raised Catholic in her native Peru. I would venture to say that my deconstruction journey began around the same time that our relationship did. While Peruvian Catholics do not venerate Mother Mary to the extent that Mexican Catholics do, I've been inspired to revisit her importance to The Story and can say that the Protestants have had it wrong for centuries where she is concerned. The Bible is filled with the stories of strong women used by God and their omission in Protestant circles and pulpits is a travesty. Just this recently-passed Christmas season, my wife asked "What about Joseph?" and my response was that he served his purpose in providing a home for Mary and Jesus but that his story wasn't the important part- Mary's was.
That was awesome!! Loved it! And even more so because I told my congregation this morning, that when I wanted to personalize the Grand Overall Designer, it is a she!
I live for your Unholy Sh+t series. You explain things the way no one has ever explained them to me - and I actually understand! Thank you. (Although we saw you in Asheville a while back, due to some family issues that popped up, we missed you with Stormy there last year. But we DID buy tickets, so I hope that counts for something. 🙂)
I do love a Princess Bride reference thrown in with the liturgy.
As a medievalist, I’ve always loved the Marian apocryphal stories best. My favorite is the Questions of Bartholomew in the Gnostic Gospels. When Bart asks Mary how her womb could contain the universe, she warns him that if she spoke of it fire would shoot out of her eyes and mouth and blow the place up. But then she instructs all the apostles to surround her and hold her down while she speaks to keep her from exploding. And sure enough, as she starts describing the Incarnation, fire shoots out of her mouth & earthquakes rumble, so Jesus appears to order her to stop. Fascinating text which I’m sure you know a lot more about than I do! http://www.gnosis.org/library/gosbart.htm
Love this, but one small quibble. When you're explaining Athanasius, the way you've phrased it could be misread to imply that Jesus did not have a human soul. I know that's not what you meant since you quoted him as saying Christ is "completely human, with a rational soul and human flesh." (let's not go down the rabbit hole of two Natures or one Nature LOL). I love your talking about the relationship between Jesus and Mary. It reminds me of that FANTASTIC painting "Christ Discovered in the Temple" by Simone Martini which shows a very petulant Jesus miffed at his parents. Here's a link: https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w800h800/collection/NML/WARG/NML_WARG_WAG_2787-001.jpg
Thank you for this, Father Nathan. I was raised in the Southern Baptist tradition by an ordained minister and was taught from childhood that the Catholics were going to hell and that Mary worship was probably Reason #2 with Reason #1 being Christ's being left hanging... Living in Mexico in the late 70s and early 80s as the son of Baptist missionaries did little to change this thought pattern since Mexican Catholics hated evangelicals as much as evangelicals hated Catholics to the point where evangelicals often found themselves stoned in public squares with real rocks. Had the evangelicals had the numbers, I'm sure retribution would have been just as bloody. Fast-forward a couple of decades and this year I'll celebrate 17 years of wedded bliss with my wife who incidentally, was raised Catholic in her native Peru. I would venture to say that my deconstruction journey began around the same time that our relationship did. While Peruvian Catholics do not venerate Mother Mary to the extent that Mexican Catholics do, I've been inspired to revisit her importance to The Story and can say that the Protestants have had it wrong for centuries where she is concerned. The Bible is filled with the stories of strong women used by God and their omission in Protestant circles and pulpits is a travesty. Just this recently-passed Christmas season, my wife asked "What about Joseph?" and my response was that he served his purpose in providing a home for Mary and Jesus but that his story wasn't the important part- Mary's was.
That was awesome!! Loved it! And even more so because I told my congregation this morning, that when I wanted to personalize the Grand Overall Designer, it is a she!
I live for your Unholy Sh+t series. You explain things the way no one has ever explained them to me - and I actually understand! Thank you. (Although we saw you in Asheville a while back, due to some family issues that popped up, we missed you with Stormy there last year. But we DID buy tickets, so I hope that counts for something. 🙂)
Beautiful. Powerful. Tear-producing. Thank you.
I was raised Lutheran. (Scandinavian side of the family.) I always resented that the feminine was completely taken out.
I do love the Princess Bride reference.