What did Mary Look Like?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Franciscan
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Spualine, how right you are. Initially I was deeply concerned that Our Lady at Medjugorje had black hair whereas in the “Poem-of the Man-God” She was fair. then it dawned on me She has been something different in so many of the sites, depending on the culture of the people She is appearing to. But, as you say, how handsome/beautiful we are is of absolutely no consequernce, the only important part of us is the state of our soul, that is the “part” that is going to determine eternal life. So yes, eat healthily and exercise a little but as to all this body building and extensive make-up, etc, we are simply pampering our “self” rather than “denying ones self”, and are on a very slippery slope I feel
God bless you all,
. Brian (Reeves)
 
Brian_Reeves said:
Spualine, how right you are. Initially I was deeply concerned that Our Lady at Medjugorje had black hair whereas in the “Poem-of the Man-God” She was fair. then it dawned on me She has been something different in so many of the sites, depending on the culture of the people She is appearing to. But, as you say, how handsome/beautiful we are is of absolutely no consequernce, the only important part of us is the state of our soul, that is the “part” that is going to determine eternal life. So yes, eat healthily and exercise a little but as to all this body building and extensive make-up, etc, we are simply pampering our “self” rather than “denying ones self”, and are on a very slippery slope I feel
God bless you all,
. Brian (Reeves)
Click to expand...
Didn’t She appear as an Asian at Akita, Japan? I think this is so we can ALL grasp that she is our Mother in all the senses we have as humans.
 
Brian_Reeves said:
Spualine, how right you are. Initially I was deeply concerned that Our Lady at Medjugorje had black hair whereas in the “Poem-of the Man-God” She was fair. then it dawned on me She has been something different in so many of the sites, depending on the culture of the people She is appearing to. But, as you say, how handsome/beautiful we are is of absolutely no consequernce, the only important part of us is the state of our soul, that is the “part” that is going to determine eternal life. So yes, eat healthily and exercise a little but as to all this body building and extensive make-up, etc, we are simply pampering our “self” rather than “denying ones self”, and are on a very slippery slope I feel
God bless you all,
. Brian (Reeves)
Click to expand...
Thank you, God Bless you, Brian. I agree, eat healthy and exercise for your health, so that you may serve God in the best way. For our bodies are temples, and we should strive to take of ourselves so as to serve God. But when it becomes, “I have to have the worldly body or else”, then there is a problem. For there are simply some conditions that cannot be helped. A girl will do what she does, and exercise 24/7, and still retain a certain extra flab.

How sad, I have a friend whose daughter almost died from an eating disorder. What a terrible injuring lie to tell young ladies that they must have the bodies of models, or else they are not worthy of marriage. What a lie. For all bodies can give and receive love, and it is wonderful when in the marital covenant, with or without flab.

If only young ladies should know that if a boy shall not consider them because she is not “hot”, then he is not the right boy, for he “looks on the appearance only, but God, on the heart.” [king David]

Again, God Bless you, Brian.

🙂
 
What is very interesting is that Our Lady has said at Medjugorje that “Love makes us more beautiful”, and, of course the visionaries have said, that Our Lady is exquisitly, indescribably beautiful and, of course, She was the most perfectly loving being, totally human.
Brian (Reeves)
 
Brian_Reeves said:
What is very interesting is that Our Lady has said at Medjugorje that “Love makes us more beautiful”, and, of course the visionaries have said, that Our Lady is exquisitly, indescribably beautiful and, of course, She was the most perfectly loving being, totally human.
Brian (Reeves)
Click to expand...
Amen! Mother Teresa was absolutely one of the most beautiful of modern women, despite her old age.
 
Well I don’t guess I will ever know exactly until I meet her face to face. I carry a picture of her the one that is in the pieata book the little blue one. It has some good prayers in it.
 
you are right. If you ever read the book and what it says about the picture. It is good to carry. Jesus sas his kingdom is not of this world.did he not? Well I am in this world but I don’t have to be of it. How can you believe in the kingdom of god or the other world
heaven] and not believe in visitatins or apperiations. We speak of ghost, but we can’t believe that God would send somebody to line us out. If we practice wat Jesus said in Mathew 5:48 the wourld would be a better place
 
eddieg57 said:
you are right. If you ever read the book and what it says about the picture. It is good to carry. Jesus sas his kingdom is not of this world.did he not? Well I am in this world but I don’t have to be of it. How can you believe in the kingdom of god or the other world
heaven] and not believe in visitatins or apperiations. We speak of ghost, but we can’t believe that God would send somebody to line us out. If we practice wat Jesus said in Mathew 5:48 the wourld would be a better place
Click to expand...
Hello Eddie, you say, “I am in this world but I don’t have to be of
it”, but I’m not quite clear what you are saying. We are in this world and we will remain so until we die and there is no alternative. Even if we become very holy we are still of this world even though our spirits are accelerating towards another plane. I think it is quite easy for some to believe in the Kingdom of God and also believe that the boundary is not crossed between there and here. I am not one of those, indeed I would say that, at the moment, God is pulling out all the stops, in every sort of way, to draw us into a relationship with His Son. Ghosts are quite a different kettle of fish to visitations by people from heaven such
as Our Lady and the Saints. Visitations from “auntie Ethel” is very dangerous, as I’m sure you appreciate, and to be avoided at all costs. Yes Matthew 5,58 is indeed the answer, however I do believe that “love”, the agape sort, comes solely from God and it is only by coming into a deep relatioship with His Son that we are able to draw on that love and love ourselves and others. The most beautiful definition of love I have ever heard came from a secular group and was, “Love is a space in which anything can exist”. Don’t you think that is so true and accurate? I do believe that the key problem at the moment is that the world, on the whole, does not love itself. We play very powerful games and pretend that we do, but if you look underneath then there is so much pain there, anger and hatred of themselves. But that’s another thread !!!
Brian.
 
To “…be in this world but not be “of” it…”

This is meant to reject worldliness; its vagaries; its changing norms of morality; its deviations from God’s Word, etc., etc.

Worldly pursuits that can become a 24/7 preoccupation that blocks out the spiritual core of our humanity. Pursuits of wealth, power, fame in a ceaseless focus is idolatry.

It is meant as a mantra towards greater spiritual nexus to God and at the same time an awareness of the temporal condition of this life and this world.
 
Brian_Reeves said:
Spualine, how right you are. Initially I was deeply concerned that Our Lady at Medjugorje had black hair whereas in the “Poem-of the Man-God” She was fair. then it dawned on me She has been something different in so many of the sites, depending on the culture of the people She is appearing to. But, as you say, how handsome/beautiful we are is of absolutely no consequernce, the only important part of us is the state of our soul, that is the “part” that is going to determine eternal life. So yes, eat healthily and exercise a little but as to all this body building and extensive make-up, etc, we are simply pampering our “self” rather than “denying ones self”, and are on a very slippery slope I feel
God bless you all,
. Brian (Reeves)
Click to expand...
That doesn’t surpise me–both Medjugorie and “Poem of the Man-God” are hoaxes. Stick with approved revelations!
 
Brian;
I your reply calls for contemplation and prayor for me.
I sometimes don’t know how to put what is on my mind
into words. Think for giving me something to pray and think
about
Your friend in christ
Eddie
 
Refugium said:
That doesn’t surpise me–both Medjugorie and “Poem of the Man-God” are hoaxes. Stick with approved revelations!
Click to expand...
Oh dear what a sad, sweeping, initial comment !!! and how long before The Vatican approves these? As far as Medjugorje is concerned, the thirty or forty years that it seems to take, it will be too late since it may well be all over, but you go on thinking that they are hoaxes while thousands grow towards Jesus through both of them. Brian
 
eddieg57 said:
Brian;
I your reply calls for contemplation and prayor for me.
I sometimes don’t know how to put what is on my mind
into words. Think for giving me something to pray and think
about
Your friend in christ
Eddie
Click to expand...
Yes, prayer is the main course of action Eddie but don’t do too much thinking. Well try and put down what’s on your mind, if it comes out a bit garbled so be it, that’s perfectly alright as far as I’m concerned. You sound a genuine sort of guy !!! Brian.
 
I don’t think any description of our Holy Mary would be about her physical looks. I think the physical descriptions in the bible, well like in this instance, are meant to communicate something other than looks.

I think it is more about beauty of the soul and spirit, of purity and grace.

It wouldn’t matter what she physically looked like. Would the mother of the Son of God be someone you could look upon without awe and humility?

If you’re looking upon Mary with physical eyes, you’re not seeing her at all.
 
Brian_Reeves said:
Yes, prayer is the main course of action Eddie but don’t do too much thinking. Well try and put down what’s on your mind, if it comes out a bit garbled so be it, that’s perfectly alright as far as I’m concerned. You sound a genuine sort of guy !!! Brian.
Click to expand...
Think you Brian. Life is short compared to eternity. I will comunicate later Your friend in christ Eddie
 
To speculate on how attractive the Blessed Mother was in her earthly context is to trivialize her. The Blessed Mother did NOT look like so much of the European art we see of her. She looked like the peasantry class in First Century BC Judea.

In other words, the Mother of God was non-white and of a brownish complexion.

I wonder what would happen if we Christians took seriously the fact that the Holy family did not look European (White)?

Please, do not respond that “It does not matter what they looked like.” I agree 100%.
So why the propaganda?
 
Martinez said:
To speculate on how attractive the Blessed Mother was in her earthly context is to trivialize her. The Blessed Mother did NOT look like so much of the European art we see of her. She looked like the peasantry class in First Century BC Judea.

In other words, the Mother of God was non-white and of a brownish complexion.

I wonder what would happen if we Christians took seriously the fact that the Holy family did not look European (White)?
Click to expand...
Nothing special, IMHO, but perhaps some greater awareness of the differences that our culture and their culture have. I’m not white myself, and I’ll admit I actually rather dislike - God forgive me - those images of an ultra-blond, almost effeminate Jesus with snow-white skin and clothes that look like they were just fresh from laundry that were quite popular during the last century.
Please, do not respond that “It does not matter what they looked like.” I agree 100%.
So why the propaganda?
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s really a matter of propaganda when it comes to medieval or Renaissance artworks, since the concept of “historical accuracy” is actually a fairly new one, growing side-by-side - I think - with the birth and development of archeology and serious study of the past; back in the old days, people did not really care if the guys you paint did not look like Jews or Romans or whatever or whether they wore historically-correct clothing or not. You could paint Biblical characters looking like Spaniards or Italians or northern Europeans and no one would bat an eyelash. You could depict them wearing mail or even plate and no one would come up and say, “Hey, the Israelites did not have plate armor at that time!”
 
Depicting the Blessed Mother as a white person is propaganda. I appreciate Patrick’s statements about the use of art some 500 years ago. I understand his point. However, let’s look at the use of religious art today.

Our generation knows better. We know that the histroic person known as the Blessed Mother was a person of color. Yet, this fact is, by and large, ignored.

I suspect that most white Christians would feel uncomfortable placing a non-white painting of Jesus or Mary in their Church.

Moreover, I noticed that in a popular painitnig of Michael the Archangel, he is depicited as
very white and Satan, under his foot, is depicted much darker.

This has always bothered me. I see white-supremacy propaganda all through it.
 
Mary was beautiful. Whether her skin was light or dark she was beautiful.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top