Mary the Mother of Jesus

Year 9 RE Unit 3 Section 2 -8 - Information about Mary : History

1. Joseph: The Nativity
https://www.clickview.net/search?query=joseph%3A%20the%20nativity

2. The role of women

in 1st Century
Palestine

3. Look at TKWL
Year 9 11.1;11.2;
11.3
Lucan Nativity – Luke 2
Mary in the Acts of the Apostles
• Luke not only wrote a gospel, but he also wrote another work, Acts of the Apostles.

• In this work he has one more reference to Mary.

• Read Acts 1:1-14 and then move to 2:1-4 (leave out the speech that Peter says)

• What do we learn about Mary in this passage? (literal detail only)

• Gather all the information you have so far about Mary from Luke and interpret it.

• Luke 8:19-21

• Luke 4:16-30

• Luke 1:26-2:20

• That is, look carefully at what you have said Mary SAYS and DOES, and make judgements about
the sort of woman Luke is showing her to be. For example: in her visit to Elizabeth, Mary is
shown to be a courageous woman, an independent woman etc.

• Luke’s writing about Mary shows her to be ………

• It is Luke’s portrayal of Mary which the Church has drawn on most for its view of Mary. Luke’s
presentation of Mary allows the Church to call Mary a disciple of Jesus; one who learned from
him and, ultimately, followed his teaching.
John's view of Mary
John’s view of Mary

Two stories about Mary are found in only one gospel. This
means they may reflect the belief of the author of the gospel
more than a shared memory.

John’s gospel has two references to Mary that no-one else

has.
Read these passages and complete the table.

What does John say about Mary

John 2:1-11
The Wedding at Cana

John 19:25-27
The Crucifixion
John’s view of Mary
Think about what you find:
1. No other gospel has the story of the wedding at Cana.
Why might that be?

2. The other gospel authors do not mention Mary at the

crucifixion of Jesus. Why might that be?

3. When we find differences in gospel accounts, we are

reminded that the gospels were written to help us
believe – not give a historical account.
What is John trying to say about Mary? What does he
want us to believe about Mary?
4. Go to TKWL 9 11.4; 11.5
The Immaculate Conception

The Immaculate Conception

means Mary was always free
of original sin. Instead, the
Immaculate Conception refers
to the doctrine that Mary,
from the very moment of her
conception, was never stained
by original sin. The word
immaculate literally means
pure, or without blemish.
 The Assumption
The Assumption is the doctrine that
says that at the end of her life on
earth Mary was assumed, body and
soul, into heaven, just as Enoch,
Elijah, and perhaps others had been
before her. Some people think
Catholics believe Mary “ascended”
into heaven. That's not correct.
Christ, by his own power, ascended
into heaven.
Mary as Mediatrix Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) argued strongly that
Mary was the mediatrix – the middle ground between God
and the world. Through Mary, love and blessings flowed
from God to the world, and prayers of help and praise flowed
from the world back to God.

Bernard believed that God and the world somehow met in

Mary. Mary was one with Jesus in that she wanted all people
to come to know and love God – and so she provided the
way.

Other images to explain Mary as a mediatrix describe her as

the neck which is between the head and the body…. the
ladder on which people can climb to God….and the road
which leads to God.

This picture is one person’s representation of the idea of

Mary as mediatrix. Think of your own (or use one of
Bernard’s which appeals) and present the concept in a visual
manner.
Visions or Apparitions
Over the past 200 years, a number of people have
claim to have seen a vision of Mary.
1. According to tradition, Mary appeared to Juan Diego, who
was an Aztec convert to Christianity, on December 9 and
again on December 12, 1531. During her first apparition she
requested that a shrine to her be built on the spot where she
appeared, Tepeyac Hill (now in a suburb of Mexico City).

2. In 1846 two young shepherds, Melanie Calvat and

Maximin Girauda saw Mary at La Salette in the French Alps.
One of the most controversial of the Church-approved
apparitions of Mary is her visit to La Salette in the French
Alps. The seers who saw her were two poor shepherd
children, half wild, unwanted by their parents and
unschooled. They had little credibility with the people in
their region and even less with the local clergy. Yet because
of the complete conversion or change of heart of the little
town, this apparition was approved within four years.
 Visions or Apparitions
3. In 1858, Bernadette Soiubirous, a 14-year-old peasant
girl, saw her at Lourdes. In southern France, Marie-
Bernarde Soubirous, a 14-year-old French peasant girl,
first claims to have seen the Virgin Mary, the mother of
Jesus Christ and a central figure in the Roman Catholic
religion. The apparitions, which totaled 18 before the end
of the year, occurred in a grotto of a rock promontory near
Lourdes, France. During that year, Mary appeared to
increasingly large groups of people.

4. In 1917, As little shepherds, they got known as “the

Three Shepherds” or “the Seers of Fatima” to whom Our
Lady appeared six times in 1917, hundred years now. In
Portugal
Visions or Apparitions
Belief in the appearance of Mary is
very important to some Catholics,
and not important to others. In
determining whether a vision is
real, the Church examines the life
of the person and what they say
very carefully. The appearances at
Guadalupe, La Salette, Lourdes and
Fatima have all been verified by
the Church. However, some,
including those reported in the
media in Australia, are not
considered true apparitions.

What is your view? How does an

appearance of Mary help people
develop their faith?
Mary & Vatican II In the 1960’s the Catholic Church leaders gathered in Rome
to debate a number of issues. Pope John XXIII called the
council, which became known as the Second Vatican Council
or Vatican II) because of where it was held.

A number of important documents came from Vatican II.

One reformed the way the Mass was celebrated; another
directed a more open attitude to other religions. Some gave
strong encouragement to work of social justice and the role
of the Church in the modern world.

Mary was a point of considerable debate: should she have

her ‘own’ document or should she be in the document on the
Church?

After much deliberation, the section dedicated to Mary was

included in the document on the Church.
Mary & Vatican II
Vatican II made a number of important statements about
Mary.

• Jesus was the one who brought God’s saving love to all
people, not Mary.
• Mary was important because she loved God and through
her love, God was able to enter the world.
• Mary is rightly called the mother of Jesus of Nazareth (the
human man) and the mother of Jesus the Christ (God in
human form)
• Mary was an important follower of Jesus; in this she is an
important model for Christians.

Which of these points do you think is the most important to

remember in any devotion to Mary?

What have you learned about Mary so far that makes her an
important role model for Christians? Go to TKWL Year 9 11.9
Then go to PP 3 The enculturation of Mary

Go to – The Enculturation of Mary PP# 3

Mary in Blue
Have you ever wondered why Mary is always shown wearing blue?

Mary is often represented wearing blue, a practice that dates back

centuries.
In the ancient world, the colour blue was expensive to make. A
precious gemstone, lapis, had to be ground into a powder and mixed
with binding agents. In the Byzantine era in about 500 CE, blue was
considered the colour of an empress. Blue was also the colour of the
heavenly gods, for the divine and for the spiritual. The ancient
Egyptian god Amun was always depicted in blue. The blue in Mary’s
gown (mantle) has also been associated with her purity and fidelity:
blue flowers such as forget-me-nots and violets are often used to
symbolise these qualities.
More recently, red has also become a prominent colour for Mary.
Artists since the 10th century have shown her in a red mantle. Red
is the colour of kings and so it points to Mary’s nobility and status.
However, it also anticipates her suffering and passion.
Mary in Blue
• Find artistic representations of
Mary (either in books, prayer
cards or on the internet) and see
how many show her in blue or
red.
• Debate: Does the depiction of
Mary in ‘symbolic’ coloured
clothes rather than her historical
costumes help people to believe
in her, or distract them from it?
 WOMEN FOR OUR LIVES OF FAITH
• Esther, who pleaded against ‘the powers’ for the liberation of her people
• Judith, who routed the plans of men and saved the community
• Deborah, laywoman and judge, who led the people of God
• Elizabeth of Judaea, who recognised and rejoiced in the life of another woman
• Mary Magdalen, minister for Jesus, first evangelist of the Risen Christ
• Scholastica, who taught her brother Benedict to honour the spirit above the
system
• Joan of Arc, who put no law above the law of God
• Clare of Assisi, who confronted the Pope with the image of woman as equal
• Julian of Norwich, who proclaimed the motherhood of God
• Catherine of Siena, to whom the Pope listened
• Teresa of Avila, who brought women’s gifts to the reform of the Church
• Edith Stein, who brought fearlessness to faith
• Elizabeth Seaton, who broke down boundaries between lay women and religious
by wedding motherhood and religious life
• Dorothy Day, who led the Church to a new sense of justice
• Mary, mother of Jesus, who heard the call of God and answered; who drew
strength from the woman Elizabeth; who persisted in hardship bearing Christ;
who ministered at Cana; who was in-spirited at Pentecost; who turned the Spirit
of God into the body and blood of Christ.
WOMEN FOR OUR LIVES OF FAITH

Go to PP #4 Mary and the Gospels

 Mary
& 1. Give a brief biography of your subject.
• Include when and where she was born, a list of family
Other Women of Faith members their occupations etc. Any schooling she
undertook etc. (2 paragraphs).
From the list of ‘Women of Faith’ below, you
will be allocated one to investigate. 2. Highlight key events or people who shaped her faith.
• Parents, upbringing, tragic loss, accident, prayer
St Catherine of Siena Dr Sr Mary Glowrey
Laura Bassi St Josephine Bakhita
3. Discuss the key events of her life, particularly how those
St Edith Stein Joan of Arc
events related to her faith.
St Gianna Molla St Katharine Drexel
St Maria Katharina Kasper Anna Borkowska
4. Discuss some of the sacrifices she made for her faith.
Elena Lucrezia Helen Prejean
• Did she ‘miss out’ on things because of her
Cornaro Piscopia Caroline Chisolm
convictions?
Mary Aikenhead
• Did her faith shorten her life?
St Cecilia
• Did her family suffer?
TASK
• Create a PowerPoint, which focuses on your 5. What is her legacy for the faith?
woman of faith. • Why do you think her life was worthy to be a subject
• Include the 6 points shown here. of your investigation?
• Add images to create interest.
• Upload on Teams 6. Provide a bibliography of references you used.
 TATS ASSESSMENT TASK- Short Answer Reflective
Response
Create an A4 cheat sheet – Front
Include the following information:

• What is devotional Prayer

• What is Contemplative Prayer
• The Rosary – Label with prayers
• The 4 Mysteries
• Life of 1st Palestine Women
• Luke has most references, why does Like mention her more
• Know stories about mary and what it tells us about her character
• Theotokos
• Mary as Madiatrix
• Catholics belief in the Immaculate Conception
• Catholics belief in the Assumption
• Colours of Mary and what they represent
• Describe one of the Apparitions of Mary- Where, When and Mary’s Message
• Your woman of faith that you researched in great detail.
Mary: Patron of Australia Prayer to Mary, patron of the Military
Almighty God, deepen in our hearts our love of
• When Cardinal Patrick Moran of Sydney wrote Mary Help of Christians.
his history of the Catholic Church in Australia, Through her prayers and under her protection,
he recalled the laying of the foundation stone may the light of Christ shine over our land. May
of what was to become the first cathedral Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.
there. The cardinal wrote "Who was the Grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our
patron selected by the people and their newly citizens. Bless especially the men and women of
arrived pastor, Father Therry, for the Mother the Australian Defence Force and their families.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Church? Mary, the Immaculate Mother of God,
under the special invocation of Help of
Christians, was chosen patroness.”
• The Church in Australia had a special reason
for honouring Mary. In the early days when
there were no priests, the people prayed the
Rosary to keep their faith alive. So, it was
fitting that Australia was the first nation to
choose her, under the title of Help of
Christians, as principal Patron.
• Although not officially approved by Rome, by
1844 a feast day for Mary Help of Christians
was being celebrated in Sydney. Now, the
Feast Day is well established. In addition,
Mary Help of Christians has been taken as the
model for Parishes and well as the Military.
Here are their prayers.
Mary Patron of Australia
Prayer to Mary, Parish of Mary Help of Make a list of the issues that are confronting
Christians, East Brunswick Australia now.
Our Lady Help of Christians. Through her
prayers grant integrity and wisdom to our Write a prayer asking for Mary to assist
leaders, compassion and generosity to our
parishioners at East Brunswick, and true Australia, use the prayer of East Brunswick
humility of heart to each one of us. Under her
protection may Australia be granted justice,
Parish as a guide.
harmony and peace. We ask this through
Christ Our Lord.
Amen.

Note that neither prayer asks that Mary give what is

asked for. Both prayers ask that the prayer of Mary
might assist in bringing what is requested: safety and
peace. This is important: We do not pray to Mary; we
pray that Mary’s prayers for us might be answered.
Mary is the ‘road’, or ‘neck’ to God.
Personal and Communal Engagement
Students analyse the role of prayer, liturgy and the Sacraments in the lives of
themselves and/or others.

Over the last weeks you have been

learning about the life of Mary and her
role in the Church today.

Read the poem and respond to it by

answering the questions which follow.
 POEM You were only fifteen, so we are told,
when the Angel came to announce your pregnancy.
I’m tired of Mary Fifteen – quite an appropriate and marriageable age
of the plaster statue for a Jewish girl.
ashen faced and mournful.
But fifteen – unmarried and pregnant –
I’m tired of her ‘too-good-to-be-trueness’, even Joseph, your betrothed, wanted to put you
I’m tired of her silent, uncomplaining away.
resignation. No white-faced statue would cope with this!
Did the Angel’s words really calm your fears?
Mary, were you really like that? ‘Do not be afraid’, he said.
I find it hard to believe. Some consolation!

Were you not afraid as you made your way to see

Elizabeth?

Were these words enough to see you through his

birth?
Enough to strengthen you to bear those words
of Simeon
that a sword would pierce your heart?
 It was no plaster-hearted statue
that walked the path to Calvary.
I find you scarcely mentioned This was no woman ‘too good to be
as I read the story of your Son; true’.
Only those few glimpses that say so little …
or do they say so much? This was a woman
who found that strength to stay
Your Son went missing – and bear the pain of one who loves;
no passive resignation greeted his discovery!
this was a mother
‘Why have you done this? who found an awesome faithfulness
to watch her own child die.
See how worried we have been!’
And again, his tardiness at Cana Mary,
brought forth a straight reminder – I am tired of that plaster, lifeless statue
‘They have no wine!’ I am tired of it,
because it isn’t you.

Author unknown
Personal and Communal Engagement
The author of this poem criticises a particular view of Mary.
What is that view?

What view of Mary do they favour?

What did you think of Mary when you began this unit?

Has your view of Mary changed? If so, how? If not, why not?

What was one thing your learned about Mary that surprised you?

Do you, or does someone you know, have a special devotion to Mary?

How could devotion to Mary be helpful to people?