Really cool. I knew that she was probably “still Jewish” to a certain extent, but never knew the details.In the early Apostolic days, Christians were thought of as a subset of Jews (and they also thought of themselves in these terms). Tensions arose when the Gospel was preached to gentiles, who wanted to join the Church. The gentiles were told (by Hebrew Christians) they must first be circumcised (ie, accept the Jewish Law and become as “Jewish” as a gentile was capable of becoming). This controversy resulted in the first Church Council (provencial, not Ecumenical), which took place in Jerusalem and is recorded in Acts 15. This Council jettisoned almost all Mosaic Law.
Mary (like all the Apostles) would have worshiped in a synagogue on Saturday and at Mass on Sunday, up until the separate nature of the Christian Faith became apparent to them (and they were no longer welcome in synagogues).
Mary was a Jew, and saw the fulfillment of Judaism in her Son and became a Christian. For many years Christianity was a sect of Judaism but later separated, although the Zcatholic Church is still the fulfillment of JudaismReally cool. I knew that she was probably “still Jewish” to a certain extent, but never knew the details.
Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but what strikes me, is that it sounds like this JW ‘witness’ intended it as a slieght, as if Mary remaining Jewish–as if being Jewish–was somehow, somethig negative.I had a visit from Jahovah witness’s, after a good 20 minute talk they left me with a question that I had never put much thought into. Did Mary continue to be a Jew after Jesus’s sacrifice? How can I answer this question?
Thank you all for the responses! And yes Goya I do believe that they intended to throw me through a loop. They told me there was allot to learn from Mary! And I told them the most important for me was her love for her son! Any how I do really appreciate the answers I will study up on it more!Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but what strikes me, is that it sounds like this JW ‘witness’ intended it as a slieght, as if Mary remaining Jewish–as if being Jewish–was somehow, somethig negative.
Again, maybe I’m reading too much into the question. Maybe I presume too much historical background (as laid out by DF above)–but I get the impression that he left you with this question to ponder, with the idea that you would be turned off at the notion that Mary was, and (naturally) remained, Jewish.
I would have asked—what exactly are you meaning with that question? Why wouldn’t she have remained Jewish? Did Jesus Christ curse the Jews? …or did He say “…forgive them father, for they know not what they do?” Would you have preferred that He had not forgiven his executioners? (and therefore, not us?).
IMO, this is just another silly ‘apologetic’–another veiled attack on the Virgin mother, that feeds into this natural protestant aversion to all things Mary.
—(and yes, I know protestants proper seek to disown the JW’s, and the JW’s proudly disown protestants–but the JW origin basically follows the protestant path, of rejecting the Church that Christ founded, in favor of [supposedly] following the Bible–of course, to the Catholic mind, that is a contradiction–you cannot pretend to follow the Bible, while simulteneusly rejecting the Church of which it speaks, and to whom it was written, and assembled–and frankly, by which it was written and assembled–at least wrt the NT that is).