Embrace Life: Wear Your Seatbelt

This commercial from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership is spectacular. They've taken a very creative and meaningful approach to emphasizing the importance of wearing your seatbelt.



Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

On the Stations of the Cross

Yesterday, I provided a liturgy for the Stations of the Cross. Today, I would like to provide links to more information on this wonderful devotion. I encourage all Catholics to participate in this devotion at your local parish. There are few devotions so profound.

Priest: "We adore you, oh Christ, and we praise you."
All: "Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world."

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

- - - - -

• How Did the Stations of the Cross Begin?
• Way of the Cross
• The Family and the Cross
• John Henry Cardinal Newman: The Stations of the Cross
• John Paul II: Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum
• Short Meditations on the Stations of the Cross
• Exposition During Stations of the Cross
• Via Crucis: Mirror of the Cross
• The Way of the Cross
• Hope for All Springs from the Cross of Christ
• The Cross Is Victory and Salvation
• May Jesus Become Our Traveling Companion
• This Is the Wood of the Cross: Come Let Us Worship
• Eucharistic Stations of the Cross
• Candelabrum for Stations of the Cross
• Stations of the Cross at Home
• Stabat Mater (At the Cross Her Station Keeping)
• The True Cross
• Why Do the Stations of the Cross?
• How to Do the Stations of the Cross
• Mary Takes Us Through the Stations of the Cross
• Wikipedia: Stations of the Cross
• Stations of the Cross: With Reflections by Mother Angelica
• Stations of the Cross for Children
• Virtual Stations of the Cross

The Way of the Cross

Tomorrow begins the Stations of the Cross devotion, which is usually celebrated every Friday during Lent. It is an opportunity to "take up your cross and follow Christ," to walk with Him along the path that leads to Golgotha. It is an excellent means with which to truly internalize and unite yourself to everything that Jesus did for us with his Passion and Death.

Below is a popular form for this devotion, composed by St. Alphonsus Ligouri:

Servers and Celebrant will process in, and stand before the altar, facing the cruficix.

OPENING SONG: O Sacred Head by Paul Gerhardt

O Sacred Head, surrounded
By crown of piercing thorn!
O Bleeding head, so wounded
Reviled and put to scorn!
No comeliness or beauty
Thy wounded face betrays,
Yet angel hosts adore thee
And tremble as they gaze.

O Love, all love transcending,
O wisdom from on high!
O Truth, unchanged, unchanging,
Surrendered up to die!
Was e'er a love so wondrous!
That from his heav'nly throne
God would descend among us
To suffer for his own.

O Jesus, we adore thee
Upon the cross our King!
We humbly bow before thee,
And of thy vict'ry sing!
Thy cross is our salvation,
Our hope from day to day,
Our peace and consolation
When life shall fade away.

- - - - - - - - - -

GREETING (the celebrant greets the people using these or similar words):

Celebrant: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Celebrant: Let us pray

All: My Lord, Jesus Christ,
You have made this journey to die for me with unspeakable love;
and I have so many times ungratefully abandoned You.
But now I love You with all my heart;
and, because I love You, I am sincerely sorry for ever having offended You.
Pardon me, my God, and permit me to accompany You on this journey.
You go to die for love of me;
I want, my beloved Redeemer, to die for love of You.
My Jesus, I will live and die always united to You.

The celebrant and servers move to the first station during the singing of verse 1 of the Stabat Mater.

Stabat Mater, Verse 1:

All: At the cross her station keeping
Stood the mournful Mother weeping
Close to Jesus to the last

THE FIRST STATION:
Pilate Condemns Jesus to Die

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how Jesus Christ, after being scourged and crowned with thorns, was unjustly condemned by Pilate to die on the cross. (Kneel)

A: My adorable Jesus,
it was not Pilate;
no, it was my sins that condemned You to die.
I beseech You, by the merits of this sorrowful journey,
to assist my soul on its journey to eternity.
I love You, beloved Jesus;
I love You more than I love myself.
With all my heart I repent of ever having offended You.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

The celebrant and servers move to the next station during the singing of the verses of the Stabat Mater.

Stabat Mater, Verse 2:

All: Through her heart, His sorrow sharing
All His bitter anguish bearing
Now at length the sword has passed

THE SECOND STATION:
Jesus accepts His cross

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider Jesus as He walked this road with the cross on His shoulders, thinking of us, and offering to His Father in our behalf, the death He was about to suffer. (Kneel)

A: My most beloved Jesus,
I embrace all the sufferings You have destined for me until death.
I beg You, by all You suffered in carrying Your cross,
to help me carry mine with Your perfect peace and resignation.
I love You, Jesus, my love;
I repent of ever having offended You.
Never let me separate myself from You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 3:

All: O, how sad and sore depressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole Begotten One

THE THIRD STATION:
Jesus Falls the First Time

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider the first fall of Jesus. Loss of blood from the scourging and crowing with thorns had so weakened Him that He could hardly walk; and yet He had to carry that great load upon His shoulders. As the soldiers struck Him cruelly, He fell several times under the heavy cross. (Kneel)

A: My beloved Jesus,
it was not the weight of the cross
but the weight of my sins which made You suffer so much.
By the merits of this first fall,
save me from falling into mortal sin.
I love You, O my Jesus, with all my heart;
I am sorry that I have offended You.
May I never offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 4:

All: Christ above in torment hangs
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son

THE FOURTH STATION:
Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how the Son met his Mother on His way to Calvary. Jesus and Mary gazed at each other and their looks became as so many arrows to wound those hearts which loved each other so tenderly (Kneel)

A: My most loving Jesus,
by the pain You suffered in this meeting
grant me the grace of being truly devoted to Your most holy Mother.
And You, my Queen, who was overwhelmed with sorrow,
obtain for me by Your prayers
a tender and a lasting remembrance of the passion of Your divine Son.
I love You, Jesus, my Love, above all things.
I repent of ever having offended You.
Never allow me to offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 5:

All: Is there one who would not weep,
'whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to behold.

THE FIFTH STATION:
Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how weak and weary Jesus was. At each step He was at the point of expiring. Fearing that He would die on the way when they wished Him to die the infamous death of the cross, they forced Simon of Cyrene to help carry the cross after Our Lord. (Kneel)

A: My beloved Jesus,
I will not refuse the cross as Simon did:
I accept it and embrace it.
I accept in particular the death that is destined for me
with all the pains that may accompany it.
I unite it to Your death
and I offer it to You.
You have died for love of me;
I will die for love of You and to please You.
Help me by Your grace.
I love You, Jesus, my Love;
I repent of ever having offended You.
Never let me offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 6:

All: Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain
In that Mother's pain untold?

THE SIXTH STATION:
Veronica Offers Her Veil to Jesus

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider the compassion of the holy woman, Veronica. Seeing Jesus in such distress, His face bathed in sweat and blood, she presented Him with her veil. Jesus wiped His face, and left upon the cloth the image of his sacred countenance. (Kneel)

A: My beloved Jesus,
Your face was beautiful before You began this journey;
but, now, it no longer appears beautiful
and is disfigured with wounds and blood.
Alas, my soul also was once beautiful
when it received Your grace in Baptism;
but I have since disfigured it with my sins.
You alone, my Redeemer, can restore it to its former beauty.
Do this by the merits of Your passion;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 7:

All: Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled
She beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent.

THE SEVENTH STATION:
Jesus Falls the Second Time

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how the second fall of Jesus under His cross renews the pain in all the wounds of the head and members of our afflicted Lord. (Kneel)

A: My most gentle Jesus,
how many times You have forgiven me;
and how many times I have fallen again and begun again to offend You!
By the merits of this second fall,
give me the grace to persevere in Your love until death.
Grant, that in all my temptations, I may always have recourse to You.
I love You, Jesus, my Love with all my heart;
I am sorry that I have offended You.
Never let me offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 8:

All: For the sins of His own nation
Saw Him hang in desolation
Till His spirit forth He sent.

THE EIGHTH STATION:
Jesus Speaks to the Women

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how the women wept with compassion seeing Jesus so distressed and dripping with blood as he walked along. Jesus said to them, "Weep not so much for me, but rather for Your children." (Kneel)

A: My Jesus, laden with sorrows,
I weep for the sins which I have committed against You
because of the punishment I deserve for them;
and, still more, because of the displeasure they have caused You
who have loved me with an infinite love.
It is Your love, more than the fear of hell,
which makes me weep for my sins.
My Jesus, I love You more than myself;
I am sorry that I have offended You.
Never allow me to offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 9:

All: O sweet Mother! Fount of Love,
Touch my spirit from above
Make my heart with yours accord.

THE NINTH STATION:
Jesus Falls the Third Time

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how Jesus Christ fell for the third time. He was extremely weak and the cruelty of His executioners was excessive; they tried to hasten His steps though He hardly had strength to move. (Kneel)

A: My outraged Jesus,
by the weakness You suffered in going to Calvary,
give me enough strength to overcome all human respect
and all my evil passions which have led me to despise Your friendship.
I love You, Jesus my Love, with all my heart;
I am sorry for ever having offended You.
Never permit me to offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 10:

All: Make me feel as You have felt
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.

THE TENTH STATION:
Jesus Is Stripped of His Garments

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how Jesus was violently stripped of His clothes by His executioners. The inner garments adhered to his lacerated flesh and the soldiers tore them off so roughly that the skin came with them. Have pity for your Savior so cruelly treated and tell Him: (Kneel)

A: My innocent Jesus,
by the torment You suffered in being stripped of Your garments,
help me to strip myself of all attachment for the things of earth
that I may place all my love in You who are so worthy of my love.
I love You, O Jesus, with all my heart;
I am sorry for ever having offended You.
Never let me offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse. 11:

All: Holy Mother, pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.

THE ELEVENTH STATION:
Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider Jesus, thrown down upon the cross, He stretched out His arms and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation. They nailed His hands and feet, and then, raising the cross, left Him to die in anguish. (Kneel)

A: My despised Jesus,
nail my heart to the cross
that it may always remain there to love You and never leave You again.
I love You more than myself;
I am sorry for ever having offended You.
Never permit me to offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 12:

All: Let me share with you His pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

THE TWELFTH STATION:
Jesus Dies Upon the Cross

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how Your Jesus, after three hours of agony on the cross, is finally overwhelmed with suffering and, abandoning Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head and dies. (Kneel)

A: My dying Jesus,
I devoutly kiss the cross on which You would die for love of me.
I deserve, because of my sins, to die a terrible death;
but Your death is my hope.
By the merits of Your death,
give me the grace to die embracing Your feet and burning with love of You.
I yield my soul into Your hands.
I love You with my whole heart.
I am sorry that I have offended You.
Never let me offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 13:

All: Let me mingle tears with thee
Mourning Him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.

THE THIRTEENTH STATION:
Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how, after Our Lord had died, He was taken down from the cross by two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, and placed in the arms of His afflicted Mother. She received Him with unutterable tenderness and pressed Him close to her bosom. (Kneel)

A: O Mother of Sorrows,
for the love of Your Son,
accept me as Your servant and pray to Him for me,
And You, my Redeemer, since you have died for me,
allow me to love You,
for I desire only You and nothing more.
I love You, Jesus my Love,
and I am sorry that I have offended You.
Never let me offend You again.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 14:

All: By the cross with you to stay
There with you to weep and pray
Is all I ask of you to give.

THE FOURTEENTH STATION:
Jesus Is Placed in the Sepulcher

C: We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You. (Genuflect)

A: Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. (Rise)

C: Consider how the disciples carried the body of Jesus to its burial, while His holy Mother went with them and arranged it in the sepulcher with her own hands. They then closed the tomb and all departed. (Kneel)

A: Oh, my buried Jesus,
I kiss the stone that closes You in.
But You gloriously did rise again on the third day.
I beg You by Your resurrection that I may be raised gloriously on the last day,
to be united with You in heaven, to praise You and love You forever.
I love You, Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended You.
Grant that I may love You always;
and then do with me as You will.

Stabat Mater, Verse 15:

All: Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.

The celebrant moves to the front of the chapel and stands with the servers facing the crucifix.

PRAYER TO JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED

My good and dear Jesus,
I kneel before You,
asking You most earnestly
to engrave upon my heart
a deep and lively faith, hope, and charity,
with true repentance for my sins,
and a firm resolve to make amends.
As I reflect upon Your five wounds,
and dwell upon them
with deep compassion and grief,
I recall, good Jesus,
the words the Prophet David spoke
long ago concerning Yourself:
"They pierced My hands and My feet;
they have numbered all My bones."

- - - - - - - - - -

CLOSING SONG (Priest and servers process out):
Glory Be to Jesus by Friedrich Filitz

Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains,
poured for me the lifeblood,
from His sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal,
in that Blood I find,
blest be His compassion,
infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages,
be the precious stream,
which from sin and sorrow,
doth the world redeem.

Oft as earth exulting,
wafts its praise on high,
angel hosts, rejoicing,
make their glad reply.

Lift ye then your voices,
swell the mighty flood,
louder still and louder,
praise the precious blood.

Amen.

Kids and Stable Population

A new video from the Population Research Institute debunking the overpopulation myth:



Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Bishop-Elect William Medley to Be Ordained to the Episcopate Today

This is a big day for the Owensboro diocese: our new bishop will be ordained today! If you are in the Owensboro, KY area, you are most welcome to attend the ordination, which will be held at the Sportcenter, in Owensboro, at 2 PM CST.

There is a wealth of information available at the diocesan website:

• Information about the Ordination -- including on what channels it will be televised.
• How a Bishop Is Ordained
• Invitation
• About Bishop-Elect Medley
• Prayer for Bishop-Elect Medley
• Livestream -- to watch the ordination online
• Public Statement

I have never seen an episcopal ordination before, so I am very much looking forward to this. The Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Pietro Sambi, will be in attendance, which is also very exciting.

Please pray for our new bishop that he will guide the Catholic churches in the diocese of Owensboro, KY in accordance with the will of the Lord. "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer 3:15). Thanks be to God!

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic

Debate on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary: Part 5

Brandom hasn't responded to Part 4 yet, but he has responded to Part 3. So, this post will be my comments on that response.

• Nice set up with typical and atypical. Why should it allow my mind to entertain this dogmatic construction? It appears from Matthew’s account that he “knew her not until she had given birth to a son”. Does it not seem reasonable to conclude that after the conception of the child that he “knew” her in the typical sense?

The Greek word for "until" (heõs hou) need not connote the cessation of the action in the main clause. This conjunction is often used simply to indicate a select period of time, without implying change in the future. In other words, just because it says "until" that does not mean that Joseph necessarily knew her after Jesus was born.

There are many examples in Scripture in which this is the case (OT references are from the Septuagint):

Gen 8:7 and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.

Did the raven cease to fly once the waters dried up?

Deut 34:6 and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe'or; but no man knows the place of his burial to [or "until"] this day.

No one knows it after that day either!

2 Sam 6:23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

She had no child after her death either.

2 Chron 26:15 In Jerusalem he made engines, invented by skilful men, to be on the towers and the corners, to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.

Was he no longer helped once he became strong?

Psa 57:1 Be merdiful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in thee my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of thy wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.

Will David cease to take refute in the Lord once the storms pass by?

Mt 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to [or "until"] the close of the age.

Jesus will always be with us, not just up to when the age closes.

Jn 9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight

They didn't believe him after they called his parents either.

Rom 11:8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."

Paul is quoting Moses in Deut 29:4 and applying it to his own generation. That means Israel was stubborn both in Moses' day and in Paul's day.

2 Cor 3:15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds;

Yet even now the veil remains over the eyes of the Jewish people. So, yea, you get the idea. You're making way too much out of the word "until" in Mt 1:25. If you look at the context of the passage, you'll see that Matthew is simply affirming that Mary remained a virgin during this time before the birth of Christ so that she can be seen to truly be the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy: "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son" (7:14). He's not attempting to make any type of statement about what happened afterward.

• Also…can you prove that because this was not the “typical” family that they would not have the “typical” sex? What is in the word “typical” that disqualifies it’s subjects from having sex?

I've seen you do this several times now. You split hairs over the definition of words and you miss the overall point that a person is trying to get across to you. All I'm saying is that, with so many other extraordinary features of their family life, it should not be so surprising that Mary and Joseph would not have sex.

• What indication is there in scripture that the betrothed woman lives with her soon to be husband? You say that he’s already taken her into his home…but where is this found? All the scripture says is that she is found to be with child before they came together.

I stand corrected. They were betrothed, and according to Mt 1:18, Joseph had not yet taken her into his home when Gabriel appeared to Mary. He didn't take her into his home until after he had the dream (cf. Mt 1:24). So, you're right, but I don't think that destroys the point I was trying to make, as I explain below:

• And you are mixing being betrothed with being married in your conclusion, “Typically, once this happens, the couple begins marital relations with each other”. But they were not married yet. The reason she asks this question is simply because they had not come together yet.

But, the angel did not say that she would conceive at that moment. He said this was something that would take place in the future. If Mary was planning on having marital relations with Joseph in the future, then there would have been no question in her mind as to how the conception would take place. She simply would have thought to herself, "Oh, I guess once I enter Joseph's home and we have sex, the resulting child will be the Son of the Most High, and he will reign over the house of Jacob, etc." But, Mary was confused. The only plausible explanation for this confusion is that she never intended to have sex. She does not and never will know a man.

• How do you go from…I do not know man to I do not ever intend to know man.

Mary doesn't know a man. That's not something she does. This state of not knowing (or, to state it positively, of being a virgin) is the reason that she gives for her question. She is confused about how she will conceive because of her virginity. Her virginity would not cause her to question how she was to conceive unless it were of the life-long kind. If at some future moment she was going to lose her virginity, then her current state of virginity would not have caused her to wonder how she would conceive at some future point in time. See what I mean?

• What were Joseph’s intensions? You mean to tell me that she wasn’t going to sleep with him even though he wanted it before the angel appeared to them? If you believe that then I’m the sole heir to the throne of Zumunda and I will sell you my property for only $10,000 and you can have it all!

He "wanted it"? Good grief, try to speak of these things in a more dignified manner. Scripture never says he "wanted it." Joseph's intentions were always to treat her respectfully. "Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly" (Mt 1:19). If he "wanted it" so bad, why didn't they have sex while she was pregnant? In Mt 1:24-25, Matthew takes great care to show that, even though Joseph took Mary into his home, that does not mean that they had sex. Assuming Jesus was brought to term, that's 9 months that Joseph did not avail himself of the typical husband's prerogative. So, I'll be looking for that $10,000 check.

• I do not swim and I do not eat meat does not mean that I’ve never swam, never ate meat or never will do them. That is the problem with you disdain for logic. I do not deep sea dive…but that doesn’t mean that I won’t in the future.

It can mean that, just not necessarily. It can and it does, because it's the only plausible explanation for her confusion.

• It can become anything you want it to become…but it doesn’t mean that that’s what the intent of Scripture is.

The parallels between Mary and the Temple, the Tabernacle, and the Ark are too numerous to simply be overlooked. You resist them only because you resist Catholic teaching, not from any solid exegetical basis.

• Is she also the Garden? That was where Elohim first tabernacled. You’re arguing that she is likened to the temple made with hands that our Lord destroyed in 70AD? You’re arguing that the Son destroyed His mother?

Oh come on, you know that doesn't logically follow. It's a metaphor. There isn't supposed to be 100% correspondence between the sign and the thing signified. Jesus likened himself to the bronze serpent that was raised up on a pole to heal the people (cf. Jn 3:14). Does that mean we should be punished for worshiping Christ, like the Israelites were for worshiping the snake? (cf. 2 Ki 18:4). Of course not.

• What about the temple that is made without hands that is said to come down from Heaven? That’s the only temple that the former shadowy temples pointed to…not to Mary.

For someone who prides himself on his logic, you are being very illogical here. An image can apply to more than one person. So Jesus likened himself to the temple. Does that mean Paul was wrong to say that each one of us are temples of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 6:19)? Christ is also called the "foundation" (1 Cor 3:11). Does that mean Paul was wrong when he said that the apostles and the prophets were the foundation? (cf. Eph 2:20). Of course not.

• That’s eisegesis to say that Ezek 44:1-2 has anything to do with Mary. It’s a joke…not even worth a rebuttal.

My reading of that passage is no different than Matthew's reading of Isa 7:14. Literally speaking, Isaiah was referring to the birth of King Hezekiah. But, Matthew read it and saw how it could also pertain to Christ. I -- and for that matter, much of the historical Christian Church that you have so cavalierly divorced yourself from -- am utilizing the same hermeneutical principle. Try to approach the passage objectively, without any preconceived notions. Pretend that you have yet to make up your mind about Mary. Is it really that hard to see how this could apply to her? "The Lord, the God of Israel" has entered Mary, like He entered the Temple Gate. Her body becomes the Temple of the Lord, her womb the Holy of Holies.

• How does any of the rest of this language therefore mean that she remains a virgin?

Because, the Temple, the Tabernacle, the Ark, these were all holy places consecrated to the Lord, set apart for Him and Him alone. Mary, who parallels these holy places in so many ways, is thus similarly set apart for Him and Him alone.

• All this is foretold by moses and the prophets that His dwelling would be with man (and woman) in the New Heavens and Earth and we would have what were to have with Adam. Paradise Restored. What was lost in the garden is now fulfilled in Christ…the relationship has been restored with Saviour…and Mary just like you and I need that salvation.

I'm not sure what your point was in saying that. I have no doubt that Mary depended on Christ for her salvation.

• All your doing is based on church dogma reading something back into the text that wasn’t there or wasn’t even hinted at.
  
  The leaping doesn’t make anything here certain. Doesn’t make her the ark any more than it makes John David. This is all eisgesis.

Like I said earlier, the parallels are far too numerous for anyone (without an axe to grind) to ignore. You see no link whatsoever between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant? Parallels have been made with much less correspondence then the parallel I have revealed between Mary and the Ark. Perhaps if there was only one similarity, or two even, you could possibly be justified in simply waving your hand at it, as you have done here. But I've given you five very clear similarities between the two. This is only "eisegesis" to you because you refuse to believe it.

• Her womb was set apart for Holy “PURPOSES” but it does not make her womb holy in the sense that no other child could dwell there. Only if Joseph thought like you (irrationally) might he come to that conclusion. A first century Jew? What would they be thinking? I’m curious. A first century Jew would reason from the scriptures. And there is nothing in scripture that would suggest to this Jew that he not know his wife. So now you know how Joseph feels about what he would do with his wife? There’s no way huh? She was consecrated for a higher purpose and she served that purpose.

God doesn't just consecrate something for a time. You're telling me that once you take the manna, the tablets, and the rod out of the Ark, that the Ark no longer becomes a consecrated vessel? Now we can just carry our random crap around in it? That's absurd. The long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of the entire world, dwelt within Mary. That's a much more profound presence than that which existed in the Ark, the Temple, or the Tabernacle. The only "irrational" conclusion is one which would hold that Joseph would not consider her just as set apart as the previous vessels of the Lord.

• Matthew 12:47-50
  While he was still speaking to the people, behold,(BR) his mother and his(BS) brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.[a] 48But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For(BT) whoever(BU)does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
  
  It can be reasonably inferred from the text that Yeshua had brother and sisters. That his mother and his brothers were waiting to speak with him. Were they her children…the text does not say that they were…but there is no reason also to assume that they weren’t. Atleast not enough to build the fanciful dogma of her perpetual virginity!

There's no reason to assume that they weren't? Yes there is! The broad meaning of adelphos and a cursory understanding of Jewish culture gives us plenty of reason. Extended family members and tribesman often lived under the same roof in Jesus day. They would have been referred to as his brothers and sisters, even thought they weren't technically his siblings.

Pax Christi,
phatcatholic