On the Immaculate Conception, I also love the lens/facet that, along with His human body, Christ also received His human nature from Our Lady. And since human nature is, in a sense, inherited, the Christ’s mother needed to be without sin in order to pass along that immaculate human nature to Him.
First, I love how you have laid this out in easy to understand format!
Question as a new convert to Catholicism: in my research about the Blessed Mother from Catholic sources, I have found agreement on the 4 dogmas you listed, but some differences in the implications of those dogmas. So I'm interested if some of the details you listed are part of the dogmas and therefore necessary for Catholics to believe, or if they are merely interpretations of the dogmas themselves. Two examples are: Mary the immaculate conception *necessary* or *fitting* to be Christ's mother? (*necessary* would seem to imply a limitation on God's ability to bring about the Incarnation. And possibly lead to an infinite regression of immaculate conceptions?) The second example is Mary as perpetual virgin down to the anatomical integrity even through birth or is there flexibility for not believing in something so specific to her anatomy, rather understanding that she remained chaste and lived as a brother/sister with her husband St. Joseph? Hopefully this question makes sense.
Lovely. Maybe adding to her peasantly sensibilities - I feel like I've read somewhere that the dogma of the Assumption was, in part, a formal declaration of what had been an informal, popularly-held belief for centuries. I need to dig for my sources on that, but either way, I like it.
I'm pondering much here and therefore am short on comments. I'm truly kind of at a loss for words here. But I assure you, lots of thinking and pondering.
A general question about feasts though... how does one celebrate or honor a feast day? I believe you said yesterday there is a feast for Mary on Jan. 1 (my birthday). What does a feast day look like? I'm asking generally. I'm sure there are many difference based on saint being celebrated.
On the Immaculate Conception, I also love the lens/facet that, along with His human body, Christ also received His human nature from Our Lady. And since human nature is, in a sense, inherited, the Christ’s mother needed to be without sin in order to pass along that immaculate human nature to Him.
First, I love how you have laid this out in easy to understand format!
Question as a new convert to Catholicism: in my research about the Blessed Mother from Catholic sources, I have found agreement on the 4 dogmas you listed, but some differences in the implications of those dogmas. So I'm interested if some of the details you listed are part of the dogmas and therefore necessary for Catholics to believe, or if they are merely interpretations of the dogmas themselves. Two examples are: Mary the immaculate conception *necessary* or *fitting* to be Christ's mother? (*necessary* would seem to imply a limitation on God's ability to bring about the Incarnation. And possibly lead to an infinite regression of immaculate conceptions?) The second example is Mary as perpetual virgin down to the anatomical integrity even through birth or is there flexibility for not believing in something so specific to her anatomy, rather understanding that she remained chaste and lived as a brother/sister with her husband St. Joseph? Hopefully this question makes sense.
Lovely. Maybe adding to her peasantly sensibilities - I feel like I've read somewhere that the dogma of the Assumption was, in part, a formal declaration of what had been an informal, popularly-held belief for centuries. I need to dig for my sources on that, but either way, I like it.
I'm pondering much here and therefore am short on comments. I'm truly kind of at a loss for words here. But I assure you, lots of thinking and pondering.
A general question about feasts though... how does one celebrate or honor a feast day? I believe you said yesterday there is a feast for Mary on Jan. 1 (my birthday). What does a feast day look like? I'm asking generally. I'm sure there are many difference based on saint being celebrated.