Nomas skriver om svagheten... Läsvärt
Nomas - Ja. Han har rätt. Vi är svaga.
Nomas - Ja. Han har rätt. Vi är svaga.
Välkommen!
Här kommer jag att skriva ner tankar om min katolska tro, om ekumenik, uppenbarelser och annat som jag finner det värt att kommentera.
Har du frågor eller synpunkter till:
Tuve: avemarisstella.tuve {snabelalfa} gmail.com
Annorzzz: salve.pharmanex {snabelalfa} gmail.com
Annorzzz på ny blogg: http://ikyrkansfullagemenskap.blogspot.com/,
St. John Bosco Describes His Dream.
Imagine yourselves to be with me on the seashore, or better, on an isolated rock and not to see any patch of land other than what is under your feet. On the whole of that vast sheet of water you see an innumerable fleet of ships in battle array. The prows of the ships are formed into sharp, spearlike points so that wherever they are thrust they pierce and completely destroy. These ships are armed with cannons, with lots of rifles, with incendiary materials, with other arms of all kinds, and also with books, and they advance against a ship very much bigger and higher than themselves and try to dash against it with the prows or to burn it or in some way to do it every possible harm.
As escorts to that majestic fully equipped ship (the Church), there are many smaller ships,which receive commands by signal from it and carry out movements to defend themselves from the opposing fleet.
In the midst of the immense expanse of sea, two mighty columns of great height arise a little distance the one from the other. On the top of one, there is the statue of the Immaculate Virgin, from whose feet hangs a large placard with this inscription: Auxilium Christianorum - 'Help of Christians'; on the other, which is much higher and bigger, stands a Host of great size proportionate to the column and beneath is another placard with the words: Salus Credentium - 'Salvation of the Faithful.'
The supreme commander on the big ship is the Sovereign Pontiff. He, on seeing the fury of the enemies and the evils among which his faithful find themselves, determines to summon around himself the captains of the smaller ships to hold a council and decide on what is to be done.
All the captains come aboard and gather around the Pope. They hold a meeting, but meanwhile the wind and the waves gather in storm, so they are sent back to control their own ships. There comes a short lull; for a second time the Pope gathers the captains together around him, while the flag-ship goes on its course. But the frightful storm returns. The Pope stands at the helm and all his energies are directed to steering the ship towards those two columns, from the top of which and from every side of which are hanging numerous anchors and big hooks, fastened to chains.
All the enemy ships move to attack it, and they try in every way to stop it and to sink it: some with writings or books or inflammable materials, of which they are full; others with guns, with rifles and with rams. The battle rages ever more relentlessly. The enemy prows thrust violently, but their efforts and impact prove useless. They make attempts in vain and waste all their labor and ammunition; the big ship goes safely and smoothly on its way. Sometimes it happens that, struck by formidable blows, it gets large, deep gaps in its sides; but no sooner is he harm done than a gentle breeze blows from the two columns and the cracks close up and the gaps are stopped immediately.
Meanwhile, the guns of the assailants are blown up, the rifles and other arms and prows are broken; many ships are shattered and sink into the sea. Then, the frenzied enemies strive to fight hand to hand, with fists, with blows, with blasphemy and with curses.
All at once the Pope falls gravely wounded. Immediately, those who are with him run to help him and they lift him up. A second time the Pope is struck, he falls again and dies. A shout of victory and of joy rings out amongst the enemies; from their ships an unspeakable mockery arises.
But hardly is the Pontiff dead than another Pope takes his place. The pilots, having met together, have elected the Pope so promptly that the news of the death of the Pope coincides with the news of the election of the successor. The adversaries begin to lose courage.
The new Pope, putting the enemy to rout and overcoming every obstacle, guides the ship right up to the two columns and comes to rest between them; he makes it fast with a light chain that hangs from the bow to an anchor of the column on which stands the Host; and with another light chain which hangs from the stern, he fastens it at the opposite end to another anchor hanging form the column on which stands the Immaculate Virgin.
Then a great convulsion takes place. All the ships that until then had fought against the Pope' s ship are scattered; they flee away, collide and break to pieces one against another. Some sink and try to sink others. Several small ships that had fought gallantly for the Pope race to be the first to bind themselves to those two columns.
Many other ships, having retreated through fear of the battle, cautiously watch from far away; the wrecks of the broken ships having been scattered in the whirlpools of the sea, they in their turn sail in good earnest to those two columns, and, having reached them, they make themselves fast to the hooks hanging down from them and there they remain safe, together with the principal ship, on which is the Pope. Over the sea there reigns a great calm.
Kan 'ni' egentligen göra några eftergifter ö.h.t. då in sitter på 100% korrekt lära / teologi?. På samma sätt tolkar nog vi katoliker (åtminstone jag) de frikyrkligas kommentarer som just ett uttryck för att de är rätt nöjda med sina läror och kan tänka sig att välkomna oss andra om vi släpper på våra läror...
accepteradedogmerna om man läser den senaste tidens kommentarer hos Aletheia...
den organisatoriska ekumenikensom något förkastligt, eftersom de inte tror på organisationer.
The first four dogmas basically define Mary's relationship to God; the fifth dogma defines Mary's relationship to us. The first Marian dogma is the dogma of God's Mother, or the Mother of God; the last Marian dogma is the dogma of Our Mother, the Mother of All Nations! The first four dogmas had to be proclaimed first. Without them we could not have defined the upcoming final and great dogma of Mary, Our Mother!Sedan vill jag även poängtera vad Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix och Advocate innebär:
The Simple Definition of a MotherDet är också väsentligt att understryka relationen mellan Jesus och Maria. Av kommentarerna till förra inlägget var det uppenbart att många tolkade termerna medfrälserska som något mer än vad det är. Så här skrev kardinalerna i sitt brev angående relationen mellan Maria och Jesu frälsningsroller:
A mother is a co-redemptrix, in the figuaritve sense of the word. She suffers with her child when he or she is sick; never resting, giving up sleep, and her own self to nurse her child back to health! The good mother lovingly sacrifices her time and all that she has, if necessary, to assure the well being of her child and without complaint. She, also, cooperates in every way possible with the grace of God, sharing or mediating those graces, the gifts God has given her, and using them on behalf of her child's physical body and soul! Is this not the definition of a mother who is a mediatrix? Finally, a mother is the advocate for her child. She is the child's staunch supporter, not just for a moment but for life. She is there whenever necessary: protecting, defending and pleading for him or her, whether it be on the playing fields of a soccer game or storming the gates of heaven with her prayers for her child.
This, then, is the composite picture of a good mother: one who suffers and sacrifices for the child; one who shares and gives all for the child; and one who pleads and prays for the child. Without these three simultaneous and ongoing actions, we could not define any mother as good; nor would the child recognize who he or she is in the eyes of God! For it is in a sense, that in the giving of the mother's love that the child receives life, God's life and love, and both become fulfilled. Since the day her child was born, the mother's life is truly a labor of love. So it is with Our Blessed Mother - "The Mother of All Nations: Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate!"
...that the Catholic Church essentially distinguishes between the sole role of Jesus Christ, divine and human Redeemer of the world, and the unique though secondary and dependent human participation of the Mother of Christ in the great work of Redemption.Det handlar alltså på inget vis om att likställa Marias roll med Jesus roll. Jesus är Frälsaren, Maria är medfrälserskan framför alla andra... Vi, liksom Paulus uttryckligen skriver, kan också bli medfrälsare, om vi vill...
FIVE MARIAN DOGMAS
Curiously, the more you meditate on Mary, Our Mother, as the Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate the more clear and illuminated the first four Marian dogmas become. These dogmas are: Theotokos (Mother of God); Perpetual Virginity; the Immaculate Conception; and the Assumption.
The first Marian dogma that Mary is the Mother of God was declared by the Church at the Council of Ephesus in the year 431 (cf. Lk 1:31-35, Lk 1:43 and Mt 1:21). This dogma emphasizes Jesus' conception through the seed or "overshadowing" of the Holy Spirit and that Mary's fully consented contribution to Her Son was in the flesh only. This clarifies any misconceptions as to the Divinity of Jesus and His relationship to His Mother Who is a created being. As the Lady of All Nations said on July 2, 1951: " To accomplish this, the Father used the Lady. Thus, from the Lady the Redeemer received only - I am stressing the word 'only' - flesh and blood, that is to say, the body. From My Lord and Master the Redeemer received His divinity."
The next dogma that of Mary's Perpetual Virginity attests to the fact that Jesus, Our Lord, was born of a Virgin (cf. Is 7:14, Lk 1:34, Lk 1:27). This was declared at the Council of the Lateran in the year 649. In addition, this Council proclaimed that Mary remained "ever-Virgin." This dogma, also, highlights the fact that Mary is the eternal Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the New Eve. The second dogma underscores the fact that Mary is the "ever-Virgin" Mother of God, thus accentuating Her spiritual Motherhood over the Church. In 1854, Pope Pius IX stated in the dogma of the Immaculate Conception that Mary was preserved from the stain of original sin from the moment of Her conception by the redemptive merits of Her Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Lk 1:28, Col 1:15-20, Eph 1:3,9,10, Eph 2:22). This dogma draws attention to God the Father's merciful plan of salvation and Mary's salvific vocation as the Ark of the New Covenant.
This brings us to the fourth Marian dogma of the Assumption which Pope Pius XII proclaimed November 1, 1950. Basically, this dogma asserts that Mary who cooperated in the work of redemption more fully than any other created being also participated in Her Son's Resurrection by being raised up into heaven both body and soul after Her death. (It does not deny Her death for that was also part of Her co-redemptive role. Cf. Eph 1:14, Eph 2:6, 1Cor 15:42-57.) Pope Pius XII eloquently acclaimed that Mary, the heavenly Queen "exalted by the Lord," Who was created by God the Father, preserved from sin and Who remained sinless and pure as the Mother of Our Lord and Spouse of the Holy Spirit, continues Her work of Motherhood, [Coredemption, Mediation and Advocacy], in heaven for the glory of God and on behalf of us all "without interruption." The Assumption reaffirms our belief in the Resurrected Christ while reminding us that by following Mary, the "New Eve", we shall follow Her to the New Life in Christ not just here on earth but eternally in heaven, also!
Since February 11, 1951, three months after the dogma of the Assumption was proclaimed, God has been asking us, through the Lady of All Nations, for a new and final Marian dogma for His glory and the honor of Our most loving Mother! The first four dogmas basically define Mary's relationship to God; the fifth dogma defines Mary's relationship to us. The first Marian dogma is the dogma of God's Mother, or the Mother of God; the last Marian dogma is the dogma of Our Mother, the Mother of All Nations! The first four dogmas had to be proclaimed first. Without them we could not have defined the upcoming final and great dogma of Mary, Our Mother! We should take time and reflect on each of these Marian dogmas. We should meditate on each one of them; for they are the definitions of Who Our Mother is. Then we will see clearly the whole picture of Our Mother. And the more we understand who Our Mother is, the more we love God and the more we uphold Our Saviour as the Lord of All Nations. For if His Mother is the Lady ofAll Nations, does it not point directly to Jesus, Her Son the King of Kings, Who is above all others, as the Lord of All Nations (cf. Ps. 47)?
On April 4, 1954 the Mother of All Nations said: "I am not bringing a new doctrine. I am now bringing old ideas." Yet "never has 'Miriam or Mary' in the Community, the Church been officially called 'Co-Redemptrix. Never has She officially been called 'Mediatrix.' Never has She officially been called 'Advocate'"(October 5, 1952). Now we have the opportunity to do something for Our Mother, She whose heart was pierced for us. Let us petition our Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II, as Our Mother asked us to do on May 10, 1953 and May 31, 1954. Let us ask him, with a fervent desire to please Our Mother, that he proclaim Our Mother The Lady of All Nations: Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate so that "henceforth all generations shall call Her blessed" (Lk 1:48).
Omvänd dig, och tro på evangeliet!
Men det börjar krypa sig på en känsla hos folk att man inte får tycka och tänka som man vill, och det är ju en farlig utveckling.
Dear Brother Eminences and Excellencies:Jag kan ju spontant inse att det inte skulle göra samtalen med somliga av våra protestantiska vänner lättare om denna dogm proklamerades. Men frågan handlar egentligen inte om det utan om sanning. Frågan som Kyrkan har att ta ställning till är om det är sant och i så fall varför.
In May 2005, we, as cardinal co-patrons, sponsored a Mariological symposium convened on the subject of the cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the work of human Redemption at the favored Fatima shrine in Portugal.
After extensive theological presentations delivered by a significant number of cardinals, bishops, and theologians, we concluded the symposium by enacting a votum to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. The votum reads as follows:
Your Holiness, Benedict XVI,
In an effort to enhance the ecumenical mission of the Church, and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its fullness, we, the undersigned cardinals and bishops who have convened in the favored Marian Shrine of Fatima (May 3-7, 2005), wish to express to you, Most Holy Father, our united hope and desire for the solemn papal definition of the doctrine of the Church regarding Mary Most Holy as the Spiritual Mother of all humanity, the Co-redemptrix with Jesus the Redeemer, Mediatrix of all graces with Jesus the one Mediator, and Advocate with Jesus Christ on behalf of the human race.
In a time of significant confusion amidst the many diverse ecclesial bodies of Christianity, and as well among non-Christian peoples concerning this Marian doctrine, we believe the time opportune for a solemn definition of clarification regarding the constant teaching of the Church concerning the Mother of the Redeemer and her unique cooperation (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 61) in the work of Redemption, as well as her subsequent roles in the distribution of grace and intercession for the human family.
It is of great importance, Holy Father, that peoples of other religious traditions receive the clarification on the highest level of authentic doctrinal certainty that we can provide, that the Catholic Church essentially distinguishes between the sole role of Jesus Christ, divine and human Redeemer of the world, and the unique though secondary and dependent human participation of the Mother of Christ in the great work of Redemption.
Therefore, Your Holiness, with filial obedience and respect, we wish to present you with this votum of our solidarity of hope for the papal definition of the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God as the spiritual Mother of all peoples in her three maternal roles as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix of all graces and Advocate, as the ultimate expression of doctrinal clarity at the service of our Christian and non-Christian brothers and sisters who are not in communion with Rome, and as well as for the greater understanding and appreciation of this revealed doctrine concerning the Mother of the Redeemer by the People of God at the outset of this third millennium of Christianity.
We thereby submit this votum accompanied by one possible formulation of the Marian doctrine which we, please God, pray may be solemnly defined by your Holiness:
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, gave to humanity from the Cross his mother Mary to be the spiritual Mother of all peoples, the Co-redemptrix, who under and with her Son cooperated in the Redemption of all people; the Mediatrix of all graces, who as Mother brings us the gifts of eternal life; and the Advocate, who presents our prayers to her Son.
On June 7, 2006, our brother, Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, presented the above votum in Latin to His Holiness on behalf of all the cardinal and bishop participants at the 2005 Fatima Symposium, together with the published acta from the symposium. The Holy Father received the votum and the acta with an accentuated gratitude and his expressed intention to study carefully the acta.
We now write to you, brother cardinals and bishops, to inform you of this votum for the solemn definition of Our Lady as the Spiritual Mother of humanity and its essential roles, and respectfully request your own prayerful consideration regarding the possibility of adding your own esteemed assent to this votum to Our Holy Father. We have enclosed a copy of the original Latin votum for your examination and, if you felt so inspired by Our Lady, you would be free to sign and to forward it on to His Holiness.
Certainly, if it so pleased the Holy Father to proceed with this request, any final formation of the definition would in no manner be bound to the formulation of the enclosed votum, but rather left entirely to his unique charism as the Successor of Peter. It is also noteworthy that over the course of the past fifteen years, over 500 bishops have sent their request for this solemn definition to the Holy See, along with approximately 7 million petitions from the Catholic faithful worldwide.
We thank you for your prayerful consideration of this request on behalf of Our Lady, Mother of the Church and Queen of the Apostles. May she guide you in your discernment of this matter to the wisdom of Jesus Christ, our divine Redeemer, through the counsel of the Holy Spirit, all leading to the fulfillment of the perfect will of our Heavenly Father.
With cordial best wishes in Jesus and Mary,
Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, India; President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India; Luis Cardinal Aponte Martínez, Archbishop Emeritus of San Juan, Puerto Rico
Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India
Riccardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu, Philippines
Ernesto Cardinal Corrippio Ahumada, Primate Emeritus of Mexico
Cardinal Co-sponsors of the Fatima Symposium on Marian Coredemption
968 Men hennes roll i förhållande till kyrkan och hela mänskligheten går ännu längre. ”Hon har på ett unikt sätt samverkat med Frälsarens verk i lydnad, tro, hopp och brinnande kärlek för att själarnas övernaturliga liv skulle återställas. Därför är hon en moder för oss när det gäller nåden och frälsningen.”[11] [494]Personligen tycker jag att det vore konsekvent av kyrkan att s a s löpa linan ut och även slå fast denna sanning. De som inte kan acceptera de dogmer som redan finns om Maria kommer inte kunna acceptera denna heller, men å andra sidan så är det väl rätt otänkbart att de skulle omvärdera sin syn på de redan proklamerade Mariadogmerna om Kyrkan lät bli att proklamera denna...
969 ”Detta Marias moderskap i nådesordningen började med det samtycke hon gav i tro vid bebådelsen och som hon tveklöst höll fast vid under korset. När hon upptogs till himlen lämnade hon inte sitt frälsande uppdrag. Det skall fortsätta utan avbrott till dess alla utvalda fullkomnats för evigt. Genom sin mångfaldiga förbön utverkar hon för oss den eviga frälsningens gåvor.... Därför åkallas den saliga Jungfrun som förespråkerska, beskyddarinna, hjälparinna och förmedlarinna.”[12] [149, 501; 1370]
Petition the Bishop of Rome, Pope John Paul II, for the dogma of the Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate under the title of the Lady of All Nations. (cf. May 10, 1953.) "This world can be saved only through the Church that holds this doctrine" (November 15, 1951). "Do fight and ask for this dogma: it is the crowning of your Lady" (April 4, 1954)! "Why do you not ask your Holy Father to pronounce the dogma the Lady demands?" (May 31, 1955) Over and over the Lady asks all of us to fight for this dogma, to pray for this dogma, to petition for this dogma!!! This is the work of the Communion of Saints here on earth, the Church, which includes the Holy Father, all bishops, priests and religious and all lay faithful. This directive from Our Mother is not just for one group of people but for all God's people. We are truly Our Mother's children and we must stand up for Our Mother and cooperate in this great effort. Together we must show Her how much we love Her! Sign the Petition which Our Mother gave us on May 10, 1953! (Our Ladys request)Observera att detta INTE är samma rörelse som exkommunicerades förra året, även om namnet är förvillande likt... Den här uppenbarelsen är godkänd av den lokala biskopen i Amsterdam sedan mer än 10 år.
Det känns inte bra att få ett sådant beslut att JO anser att jag kränkt yttrandefriheten, men samtidigt står jag fast vid mitt beslut. JO och jag gör olika tolkningar,Prästen, andra sidan, säger:
Säg att det kommit någon ny lista, då hade jag nog inte skrivit på.Min lilla reflektion är att rektorn har uppnått sitt syfte att tysta oliktänkande... Hur mycket är det att verka för en demokratisk syn i skolan? Frågan borde väl vara om inte den obotfärdige rektorn borde stängas av istället ;)
anathema. The word means ‘separated’ or ‘accursed’. In the OT it was used of ‘things devoted to God’, that is not for common use; later when applied to people it came to involve exclusion from the community and loss of goods. St Paul used it of separation from the Christian community. Anathematization, which became the regular procedure against heretics, was distinguished from excommunication; whereas the latter involved only exclusion from the sacraments and worship, the former was complete separation from the body of the faithful. The distinction gradually lost its meaning and since 1983 the term has had no official application in the penal code of the RC Church. (Källa: "anathema" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Ed. E. A. Livingstone. Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Hogskolan i Boras. 9 February 2008 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t95.e231>)
Det är hela kyrkan, Kristi kropp, som ber och som offrar sig, 'genom honom och med honom och i honom', i den helige Andes enhet, till Gud, Fadern(katolska kyrkans katekes §1553)
Marias eviga jungfrulighet diskuterades tidigare på Aletheia. Jag skulle vilja framföra några argument för att det inte var troligt med någon jungfrulighet sedan Jesus var avlad.
Maria var trolovad (!) med Josef (Matt 1:18) han kallades också Marias man (!)(Matt 1:16). När Josef i en dröm fick se en ängel som sa åt honom att han skulle ta med sig barnet och hans mor och fly till Egypten, behövde han bara stiga upp (Matt 2:13), vilket tyder på att de sov under samma tak. Lukas kallar Maria och Josef för föräldrarna (Luk 2:17). När Josef och Maria var i Betlehem för att skattskriva sig så var tiden inne för henne att föda. Eftersom de inte fick plats i något härbärge tyder väl det mesta på att Josef fick handgripligt hjälpa till vid födseln. Kanske just därför han kunde kallas barnets förälder. Han hade knappast fått varit med vid förlossningen om Maria avsåg att bli evig jungfru. (Luk 2:6) Skulle sedan Jesus ha växt upp med en plastpappa som fick sova i gästrummet? Det blir så osannolikt att det inte är rimligt.
Jag tror att Maria och Josef hade ett gott samliv som tjänade som exempel för den uppväxande Jesus, som troligen (eller ganska säkert) inte hade egna erfarenheter. Hur skulle det annars ha sett ut? Blev Jesus helt frånkopplad från den viktigaste relationen i en människas liv i två generationer? Både genom sina "föräldrar" och genom sitt eget liv? Nej, troligen hade hans föräldrar ett exemplariskt förhållande, som gjorde pojken Jesus harmonisk i frågan. Hur skulle han annars ha varit så vis?
"Men jag säger er: den som ser på en kvinna med åtrå har redan i sitt hjärta brutit hennes äktenskap." (Matt 5:28)
Med en pappas som sovit i gästrummet hade väl inte ovanstående kommentar varit möjlig?
The Brethren of the Lord
A group of persons closely connected with the Saviour appears repeatedly in the New Testament under the designation "his brethren" or "the brethren of the Lord" (Matthew 12:46, 13:55; Mark 3:31-32, 6:3; Luke 8:19-20; John 2:12, 7:3-5; Acts 1:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5). Four such "brethren" are mentioned by name in the parallel texts of Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 (where "sisters" are also referred to), namely, James (also mentioned Galatians 1:19), Joseph, or Joses, Simon, and Jude; the incidental manner in which these names are given, shows, however, that the list lays no claim to completeness.
Two questions in connexion with these "brethren" of the Lord have long been, and are still now more than ever, the subject of controversy: (1) The identity of James, Jude, and Simon; (2) the exact nature of the relationship between the Saviour and his "brethren".
(1) The identity of James, Jude and Simon
James is without doubt the Bishop of Jerusalem (Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18; Galatians 1:19; 2:9-12) and the author of the first Catholic Epistle. His identity with James the Less (Mark 15:40) and the Apostle James, the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18), although contested by many Protestant critics, may also be considered as certain. There is no reasonable doubt that in Galatians 1:19: "But other of the apostles [besides Cephas] I saw none, saving James the brother of the Lord", St. Paul represents James as a member of the Apostolic college. The purpose for which the statement is made, makes it clear that the "apostles" is to be taken strictly to designate the Twelve, and its truthfulness demands that the clause "saving James" be understood to mean, that in addition to Cephas, St. Paul saw another Apostle, "James the brother of the Lord" (cf. Acts 9:27). Besides, the prominence and authority of James among the Apostles (Acts 15:13; Galatians 2:9; in the latter text he is even named before Cephas) could have belonged only to one of their number. Now there were only two Apostles named James: James the son of Zebedee, and James the son of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). The former is out of the question, since he was dead at the time of the events to which Acts 15:6 ssq., and Galatians 2:9-12 refer (cf. Acts 12:2). James "the brother of the Lord" is therefore one with James the son of Alpheus, and consequently with James the Less, the identity of these two being generally conceded. Again, on comparing John 19:25 with Matthew 27:56, and Mark 15:40 (cf. Mark 15:47; 16:1), we find that Mary of Cleophas, or more correctly Clopas (Klopas), the sister of Mary the Mother of Christ, is the same as Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, or Joses. As married women are not distinguished by the addition of their father's name, Mary of Clopas must be the wife of Clopas, and not his daughter, as has been maintained. Moreover, the names of her sons and the order in which they are given, no doubt the order of seniority, warrant us in identifying these sons with James and Joseph, or Joses, the "brethren" of the Lord. The existence among the early followers of Christ of two sets of brothers having the same names in the order of age, is not likely, and cannot be assumed without proof. Once this identity is conceded, the conclusion cannot well be avoided that Clopas and Alpheus are one person, even if the two names are quite distinct. It is, however, highly probable, and commonly admitted, that Clopas and Alpheus are merely different transcriptions of the same Aramaic word Halphai. James and Joseph the "brethren" of the Lord are thus the sons of Alpheus.
Of Joseph nothing further is known. Jude is the writer of the last of the Catholic Epistles (Jude 1). He is with good reason identified by Catholic commentators with the "Judas Jacobi" ("Jude the brother of James" in the Douay Version) of Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13, otherwise known as Thaddeus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18). It is quite in accordance with Greek custom for a man to be distinguished by the addition of his brother's name instead of his father's, when the brother was better known. That such was the case with Jude is inferred from the title "the brother of James", by which he designates himself in his Epistle. About Simon nothing certain can be stated. He is identified by most commentators with the Symeon, or Simon, who, according to Hegesippus, was a son of Clopas, and succeeded James as Bishop of Jerusalem. Some identify him with the Apostle Simon the Cananean (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) or the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The grouping together of James, Jude or Thaddeus, and Simon, after the other Apostles, Judas Iscariot excepted, in the lists of the Apostles, (Matthew 10:4-5; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13) lends some probability to this view, as it seems to indicate some sort of connexion between the three. Be this as it may, it is certain that at least two of the "brethren" of Christ were among the Apostles. This is clearly implied in 1 Cor 9:5: "Have we not the power to carry about a woman, a sister, as well as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?" The mention of Cephas at the end indicates that St. Paul, after speaking of the Apostles in general, calls special attention to the more prominent ones, the "brethren" of the Lord and Cephas. The objection that no "brethren" of the Lord could have been members of the Apostolic college, because six months before Christ's death they did not believe in Him (John 7:3-5), rests on a misunderstanding of the text. His "brethren" believed in his miraculous power, and urged him to manifest it to the world. Their unbelief was therefore relative. It was not a want of belief in His Messiahship, but a false conception of it. They had not yet rid themselves of the Jewish idea of a Messiah who would be a temporal ruler. We meet with this idea among the Apostles as late as the day of the Ascension (Acts 1:6). In any case the expression "his brethren" does not necessarily include each and every "brother", whenever it occurs. This last remark also sufficiently answers the difficulty in Acts 1:13-14, where, it is said, a clear distinction is made between the Apostles and the "brethren" of the Lord.
(2) The exact nature of the relationship between the Saviour and his "brethren"
The texts cited at the beginning of this article show beyond a doubt that there existed a real and near kinship between Jesus and His "brethren". But as "brethren" (or "brother") is applied to step-brothers as well as to brothers by blood, and in Scriptural, and Semitic use generally, is often loosely extended to all near, or even distant, relatives (Genesis 13:8, 14:14-16; Leviticus 10:4; 1 Chronicles 15:5-10, 23:21-22), the word furnishes no certain indication of the exact nature of the relationship. Some ancient heretics, like Helvidius and the Antidicomarianites, maintained that the "brethren" of Jesus were His uterine brothers the sons of Joseph and Mary. This opinion has been revived in modern times, and is now adopted by most of the Protestant exegetes. On the orthodox side two views have long been current. The majority of the Greek Fathers and Greek writers, influenced, it seems, by the legendary tales of apocryphal gospels, considered the "brethren" of the Lord as sons of St. Joseph by a first marriage. The Latins, on the contrary, with few exceptions (St. Ambrose, St. Hilary, and St. Gregory of Tours among the Fathers), hold that they were the Lord's cousins. That they were not the sons of Joseph and Mary is proved by the following reasons, leaving out of consideration the great antiquity of the belief in the perpetual virginity of Mary. It is highly significant that throughout the New Testament Mary appears as the Mother of Jesus and of Jesus alone. This is the more remarkable as she is repeatedly mentioned in connexion with her supposed sons, and, in some cases at least, it would have been quite natural to call them her sons (cf. Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; Acts 1:14). Again, Mary's annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41) is quite incredible, except on the supposition that she bore no other children besides Jesus. Is it likely that she could have made the journey regularly, at a time when the burden of child-bearing and the care of an increasing number of small children (she would be the mother of at least four other sons and of several daughters, cf Matthew 13:56) would be pressing heavily upon her? A further proof is the fact that at His death Jesus recommended His mother to St. John. Is not His solicitude for her in His dying hour a sign that she would be left with no one whose duty it would be to care for her? And why recommend her to an outsider if she had other sons? Since there was no estrangement between Him and His "brethren", or between them and Mary, no plausible argument is confirmed by the words with which he recommends her: ide ho uios sou, with the article before uios (son); had there been others sons, ide uios sou, without the article, would have been the proper expression.
The decisive proof, however, is that the father and mother of at least two of these "brethren" are known to us. James and Joseph, or Joses, are, as we have seen, the sons of Alpheus, or Clopas, and of Mary, the sister of Mary the Mother of Jesus, and all agree that if these are not brothers of the Saviour, the others are not. This last argument disposes also of the theory that the "brethren" of the Lord were the sons of St. Joseph by a former marriage. They are then neither the brothers nor the step-brothers of the Lord. James, Joseph, and Jude are undoubtedly His cousins. If Simon is the same as the Symeon of Hegesippus, he also is a cousin, since this writer expressly states that he was the son of Clopas the uncle of the Lord, and the latter's cousin. But whether they were cousins on their father's or mother's side, whether cousins by blood or merely by marriage, cannot be determined with certainty. Mary of Clopas is indeed called the "sister" of the Blessed Virgin (John 19:25), but it is uncertain whether "sister" here means a true sister or a sister-in-law. Hegesippus calls Clopas the brother of St. Joseph. This would favour the view that Mary of Clopas was only the sister-in-law of the Blessed Virgin, unless it be true, as stated in the manuscripts of the Peshitta version, that Joseph and Clopas married sisters. The relationship of the other "brethren" may have been more distant than that of the above named four.
The chief objection against the Catholic position is taken from Matt 1:25: "He [Joseph] knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son"; and from Luke 2:7: "And she brought forth her firstborn son". Hence, it is argued, Mary must have born other children. "Firstborn" (prototokos), however, does not necessarily connote that other children were born afterwards. This is evident from Luke 2:23, and Ex 13:2-12 (cf. Greek text) to which Luke refers. "Opening the womb" is there given as the equivalent of "firstborn" (prototokos). An only child was thus no less "firstborn" than the first of many. Neither do the words "he knew her not till she brought forth" imply, as St. Jerome proves conclusively against Helvidius from parallel examples, that he knew her afterwards. The meaning of both expressions becomes clear, if they are considered in connexion with the virginal birth related by the two Evangelists.
Ekumenik är strävan efter att uppnå enhet i tron på Kristus, en enhet som inte i sig förutsätter likriktning eller konformism, men som däremot räknar med en både dogmatisk och ämbetsmässig försoning mellan de nu splittrade kristna kyrkorna. Enheten skall vara synlig och i någon grad också strukturell.