SAN JOSE PRO-CATEDRAL
Virgen María
«Soy la sierva del Señor. Hágase en mí según tu palabra» (Lucas 1:38).
Puede que sea la mujer más famosa de la historia, pero sorprendentemente se habla poco de ella en el Nuevo Testamento. María solo aparece en unas pocas escenas del Evangelio y en el primer capítulo de los Hechos.
Sin embargo, su fe total en Dios es algo que podemos emular.
LEER MÁS...
Como Madre de Dios, la Virgen María ocupa una posición única entre los santos, de hecho, entre todas las criaturas. Es exaltada, pero sigue siendo una de nosotros.
LEER MÁS...
Fue por medio de la Santísima Virgen María que Jesús vino al mundo, y es también por medio de Ella que Él debe reinar en el mundo.
LEER MÁS...
María, también conocida como Santa María la Virgen, la Santísima Virgen María, Santa María, María Madre de Dios o la Virgen María es considerada por muchos la más grande de todas las santas cristianas. La Virgen Madre «fue, después de su Hijo, exaltada por la gracia divina sobre todos los ángeles y los hombres».
Mary is venerated with a special cult, called by St. Thomas Aquinas, hyperdulia, as the holiest of all creatures. The main events of her life are celebrated as liturgical feasts of the universal Church.
Mary's life and role in the history of salvation is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, while the events of her life are recorded in the New Testament. Traditionally, she was declared the daughter of Sts. Joachim and Anne. Born in Jerusalem, Mary was presented in the Temple and took a vow of virginity. Living in Nazareth, Mary was visited by the archangel Gabriel, who announced to her that she would become the Mother of Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
She became betrothed to St. Joseph and went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was bearing St. John the Baptist. Acknowledged by Elizabeth as the Mother of God, Mary intoned the Magnificat.
When Emperor Augustus declared a census throughout the vast Roman Empire, Mary and St. Joseph went to Bethlehem, his city of lineage, as he belonged to the House of David. There Mary gave birth to Jesus and was visited by the Three Kings.
Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, where St. Simeon rejoiced and Mary received word of sorrows to come later. Warned to flee, St. Joseph and Mary went to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. They remained in Egypt until King Herod died and then returned to Nazareth.
Nothing is known of Mary's life during the next years except for a visit to the Temple of Jerusalem, at which time Mary and Joseph sought the young Jesus, who was in the Temple with the learned elders.
The first recorded miracle of Jesus was performed at a wedding in Cana, and Mary was instrumental in calling Christ's attention to the need. Mary was present at the Crucifixion in Jerusalem, and there she was given into John the Apostle's care. She was also with the disciples in the days before the Pentecost, and it is believed that she was present at the resurrection and Ascension.
No scriptural reference concerns Mary's last years on earth. According to tradition, she went to Ephesus, where she experienced her "dormition." Another tradition states that she remained in Jerusalem. The belief that Mary's body was assumed into heaven is one of the oldest traditions of the Catholic Church.
Pope Pius XII declared this belief Catholic dogma in 1950. The four Catholic dogmas are: Mother of God, Perpetual virginity of Mary, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary. The feast of the Assumption is celebrated on August 15. The Assumption was the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.
According to Pope Pius XII, the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."
In 1854, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception - that Mary, as the Mother of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was free of original sin at the moment of her conception. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8. The birthday of Mary is an old feast in the Church, celebrated on September 8, since the seventh century.
Otras festividades que conmemoran acontecimientos de la vida de la Santísima Virgen María se enumeran en los Apéndices. El Papa Pío XII consagró a toda la humanidad a María en 1944. La Iglesia ha enseñado desde hace mucho tiempo que María es verdaderamente la Madre de Dios.
La Santísima Virgen María puede ser considerada patrona de cualquier buena acción, pues a menudo se la cita como la patrona de toda la humanidad. María también se asocia con la protección de muchas ocupaciones y lugares.
María posee una relación única con las tres Personas de la Trinidad, lo que le otorga el título de Reina. Fue elegida por Dios Padre para ser la Madre de su Hijo; Dios Espíritu Santo la eligió para ser su esposa virginal para la Encarnación del Hijo; y Dios Hijo la eligió para ser su madre, el medio para encarnarse en el mundo con el propósito de redimir a la humanidad.
Esta Reina es también nuestra Madre. Si bien no es nuestra Madre en sentido físico, se la llama madre espiritual, pues concibe, da a luz y nutre la vida espiritual de gracia de cada persona. Como Mediadora de Todas las Gracias, está siempre presente junto a cada persona, dándole alimento y esperanza, desde el momento del nacimiento espiritual en el Bautismo hasta el momento de la muerte.
