A Deeper Look at "Hail Mary" ...Through the Eyes of Scripture, part 3
Is it right to address Mary as "HOLY MARY" ?
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: WORSHIP GOD ! Revelation 22:8-9
Is it right to address Mary as "HOLY MARY" ?
This is done incessantly in the "hail mary" prayers recited by the churches who practice "the rosary". Let us examine the next section of the "hail mary" prayer to see if it lines up with Scripture.
[This is the
Rosary prayer from the Marian Press ; *
denotes words and concepts NOT found in Scripture.]
Hail, Mary*, full of
grace*.The LORD is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, JESUS*. Holy Mary*, Mother of
GOD,* Pray for us sinners*, now and at the hour of our
death*. Amen
+ + +
Now, just a note of clarification before we begin:
We recall, from parts one and two in this series of the Mary
Problem:
The Angel Gabriel greeted this Hebrew virgin, Mariam, with the
word REJOICE! ... as it is properly
translated into English. ... not
"hail" , as in "hail to the king."
The Angel Gabriel who stands before GOD did not use her name. He
did not "honor" her nor bow down to her nor "salute" her,
as in a military "hail."
No, rather, The Angel said to her,
" You , Rejoice !
Having been favored ! "
Much, MUCH, confusion might have been avoided for centuries if
the translation from the Greek had been a bit more literal and grammatically
honest, reflecting the correct Greek tenses .
"Rejoice " in Luke 1:28 is a command, and in this
grammatical form, it is presented to Mariam in the 2nd person singular... as a
direct command to her.
She is the
one commanded by the Angel to
"Rejoice!"
In other words, the Angel Gabriel is NOT doing obeisance to the
Hebrew virgin Mariam.
In the literal translation of the actual Greek, there is no
"highly" attached to the passive-
perfect- participle- vocative verb form of
"favored." It should have been
accurately translated into English as " having been favored
."
The PASSIVE is usually reduced to "favored one" .
The PASSIVE voice tells us that Mariam received the
action done from someone else, and that action was PERFECT, i.e., completed. In other words, she was selected and granted
favor through the action of GOD for a certain purpose; it was not of her own
doings.
The vocative part
tells us that this was in the grammatical case marking the one being
addressed. One grammatical analysis lists this verb as feminine-2nd
person, as well. ( The Analytical Greek New Testament,
Barbara Friberg and Timothy Friberg, eds., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI,
1981, page 172.)
Dishonesty in the translation from the Greek to the English has
caused immense confusion to the faithful.
The Latin Vulgate is of little help here.
Jerome's Latin Vulgate was compiled from Old Latin manuscripts,
with a few Greek manuscripts consulted, around 400 AD. One major Old
Latin manuscript which is available online did not have "full of
grace" in it. ( Codex D, Bezae, a copy of an Old Latin manuscript).
We
cannot help but wonder if Jerome's original Latin Vulgate compilation
had "full of grace" in it, at the first.
+ + +
Now , here is a curious note:
The Angel Gabriel said, "The LORD is with thee. Blessed
art thou among women." Luke 1:28
Elisabeth, Mariam's cousin, the mother of John the Baptist,
said," Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of
thy womb." Luke 1:42.
However, NO-ONE in this passage in Luke 1 said His+
Name: JESUS... which is attached to
the "hail Mary" prayer, supposedly taken from Luke , chapter 1.
So, consider this: How did His+ Name enter that
"Scriptural" prayer, attached to the phrase " ... blessed is
the fruit of thy womb, JESUS " ?
Perhaps…
someone in the hierarchy of the "hail mary" churches
wanted to make certain the "fruit of Mary's womb" causing her to be
blessed was … JESUS ... and not any of her other children who were born to her
and Joseph later ?
Is not This+ the carpenter’s son?
Is not His+ mother called Mary?
and His+ brethren,
James, and Joses,
and Simon, and Judas?
And His+ sisters,
are they not all with us?
Whence then hath This Man+
all these things?
Matthew 13:55-56
Is not This+ the carpenter,
the Son+ of Mary,
the Brother+ of James, and
Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?
and are not His+ sisters
here with us?
And they were offended at HIM+.
Mark 6:3
+ + +
Now, let us consider the next phrase found in the "hail
mary" prayer.
"HOLY
MARY... "
In Scripture, in all the passages that deal with the Hebrew
Virgin Mariam, Mary is NEVER ADDRESSED as being "holy."
These passages include
- the Angelic Visitation,
- the Nativity,
- the Lost CHILD+ in the Temple,
- The wedding in Cana,
- His+ ministry in the house with His+ mother and brethren outside,
- His+ placing Mary under John's oversight at the Cross,
- and, the last reference to Mary and His+ brethren found in Acts 1:14, in the Upper Room with other disciples awaiting Pentecost.
Not one time...
is Mary addressed as "holy."
- Not by any angel.
- Not by one person.
- Not by Elisabeth
- nor by Joseph.
- Not by the Apostle John who took her into his home.
- Not by the disciples in the Upper Room awaiting Pentecost.
Not by the Apostle Paul, neither personally nor in his letters
to the church.
- Not in the letters of the Apostle Peter.
- Not by her son Jude, the writer of the book of Jude.
- Not in the letters of the Apostle John
- nor in his Apocalypse.
And, NOT by The LORD JESUS,
... who did not even address her as "mother" .
NEVER "Holy Mary".
NOT ONE TIME.
To address the Hebrew virgin Mariam as "holy" simply
was not done by anyone. Nor was there ever any instruction given for the church
to address her in such a way in the Scriptures.
Where did THAT that address originate ?
We may never know WHERE that phrase originated, but we DO KNOW
FOR CERTAIN where it did NOT originate.
It is not found in Scriptures.
- It is not found in any examples within Scriptures.
- It is not found in any instructions to the church.
- There is NOTHING in Scriptures to base any such tradition upon.
Here is what IS found in Scriptures, about addressing someone as
"Holy" .
Saying, Let us alone;
what have we to do with THEE+,
thou JESUS of Nazareth?
Art THOU+ come to destroy us?
I know THEE+ Who+ THOU+ art,
The HOLY ONE+ of GOD.
Mark 1:24
And now
I+ am no more in the world,
but these are in the world,
and I+ come to THEE.
HOLY FATHER,
keep through Thine own Name
those whom THOU hast
given ME+,
that they may be one,
as WE are.
John 17:11
+ + +
As an adjective, "HOLY" is applied to CHRIST, to THE
FATHER, to The HOLY SPIRIT ( or GHOST, KJV) .
There is a ( rather LARGE ) group of "holy" angels,
Revelation 14:10.
"Holy" is also applied to the Scriptures, The LAW, the
commandment, The Covenant, The (holy) Places as in Hebrews 9:24, the
"holy" mount of transfiguration , 2 Peter 1:18.
The Firstfruit and the branches in Romans 11:16 are both
described as "holy".
Our FAITH is "holy," Jude 1:20.
Our bodies, our Temple, ought to be "holy", Romans
12:1 and 1 Corinthians 3:17, as well as our salute to the brethren is to be
with a "holy" kiss, Romans 16:16.
Children are considered "holy" offspring, even if only
one of the parents is a Follower of The LORD JESUS CHRIST, 1 Corinthians 7:14.
Things of the altar are "holy" , as well as WE who are
sealed with that "holy" SPIRIT of promise, Ephesians 1:13.
The Apostles were labeled as "holy" , as well as the
prophets, Ephesians 3:5 and 2 Peter 3:2.
WE will be presented before HIM+ as "holy" and
unblameable and unreproveable as well, if we continue in the
Faith... that Faith once delivered to all the saints,
Colossians 1:22.
WE are called "holy" brethren, 1 Thessalonians 5:27,
to whom the Letter from the Apostle Paul is sent.
Our hands are considered "holy", also ! I Timothy 2:8, as well as our conversation, 1
Peter 1:15.
WE have a "holy" calling, 2 Timothy 1:9 . Our bishops
are to be "holy."
WE all form a "holy" priesthood, 1
Peter 2:5. WE are a "holy" nation ( i.e., ethnos, race ).
WE ...
as a group... are ADDRESSED as "holy" in Hebrews 3:1...
Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the Heavenly calling,
consider the Apostle+
and High Priest+
of our profession,
CHRIST JESUS;
Hebrews 3:1
+ + +
However, NO PLACE IN SCRIPTURE is another human being addressed as
"holy". NO PLACE. Never is it done or to be found.
In NO PLACE in Scriptures to the Apostles and Prophets and even
the Angels receive worship.
Why don't we follow Scripture, then ?
In our worship, we ought to follow the Scriptural example, yes?
The HOLY FATHER, yes.
HOLY JESUS, yes.
The HOLY SPIRIT, yes.
There is never a "holy" Mary so addressed on earth ...
nor a "holy" Mary addressed in worship, GOD forbid !
All Followers ( in Spirit and in Truth) of The LORD JESUS CHRIST
are "holy" , Scripture teaches us, but NONE
of us receive the homage of being addressed as "holy" from other human beings...
whether dead or alive or alive in CHRIST, in the Heavenlies.
Nor should we GIVE it to any
but The ELOHIM.
+ + +
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which
shewed me these things.
Then saith he unto me,
See thou do it not:
for I am thy fellow servant,
and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this
book:
WORSHIP GOD !
Revelation 22:8-9
+ + +
I AM the LORD:
that is My Name:
and My Glory
will I not give to another,
neither My praise
to graven images.
Isaiah 42:8
+ + +
Let us pray:
O Righteous, Holy FATHER,
I come to THEE through Thy Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST, our LORD and
SAVIOR+... for THEE alone, O YHWH ELOHIM, art our HOLY GOD.
Help my heart to seek after THEE+, LORD CHRIST, so much so that
I lose sight of my Self. I will not glory in the flesh, neither mine nor
others' flesh.
Help me not to grieve Thy HOLY SPIRIT, the Spirit of Truth, Which has been freely
given to us, at great price.
I have determined to put no other god --- or goddess --- before
THEE.
THOU hast invited me to "Seek My+
face". My heart
says unto THEE+, Thy face, O LORD, will I seek.
Through the enabling grace of The LORD JESUS CHRIST, I offer
these my imperfect prayers. Amen.
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