The Blessed Virgin Mary

“And a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars…” (Rev. 12:1)

"You alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you, nor any stains upon your Mother. Who of my children can compare in beauty to these?" (St. Ephraim the Syrian, Nisibene Hymns 27:8, 361 AD)

     Christians of the Catholic faith are unique among other Christian bodies for their singular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Though the Greek Orthodox and the Russian Orthodox also venerate her, only the Catholic Church has taught definitively (declared as dogma) as her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption and her Perpetual Virginity.

Prophesied in the Old Testament

     Immediately after the Fall of humanity, God promised a future Redeemer, who would destroy the Evil One (Gen. 3:15). From here on out, the serpent would make war against the woman and her offspring, until the Woman should come who, through her Seed, would crush the head of the serpent. Mary is this woman prophesied, and the Seed is Christ.

     The Old Testament is full of symbols of Mary: Sarah, Hannah, Ruth and Bathsheba all prefigure Mary in certain ways. Especially noteworthy are Jael, the woman of Thebez, Judith and Esther, all of whom struck down their more powerful male aggressors by destroying their heads, as was prophesied of Mary in Genesis 3:15.