Why is Mary significant in Catholicism? Why not Joseph or his brothers?
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Basically because the Catholics blindly believe their religion without studying the Word of God.  I used to be a catholic until I read the Word of God for myself and saw all the contradictions that the catholics do.\n\n The Catholic Church gives honor and adoration to Mary that the Scriptures do not; she is readily referred to as "holy," the "Mother of God," and has been dubbed the "Co-Redemptrix," thereby making her an object of idolatrous worship (e.g., the rosary has ten prayers to Mary for each two directed to God). In 1923, Pope Pius XI sanctioned Pope Benedict XV's (1914-1922) pronouncement that Mary suffered with Christ, and that with Him, she redeemed the human race. And Pope Pius XII officially designated Mary the "Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of the World." Catholics claim not only that Mary was perfectly sinless from conception, even as Jesus was (doctrine of Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854), but that the reason she never sinned at any time during her life was because she was unable to sin (cf. Lk. 1:46,47; Rom. 3:10,23; 5:12; Heb. 4:15; 1 Jn. 1:8,10). Catholics also believe that Mary was a perpetual virgin (cf. Ps. 69:8; Matt. 1:24,25; 13:54-56; Mk. 6:3; Jn. 7:5), and that she was assumed, body and soul, into heaven (doctrine of Assumption of Mary, declared ex cathedra by Pope Pius XII in November of 1950 -- that Mary was raised from the dead on the third day after her death, and anyone who refuses to believe this has committed a mortal sin). The consequence of all this veneration of Mary, in effect, establishes her authority above Christ's -- Rome says, "He came to us through Mary and we must go to Him through her." All this is so obviously idolatrous, one wonders why Catholics take offense when their religious affections are called cultic.
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1- the Virgin Mother is important BECAUSE she was chosen to be the mother of our Lord Jesus. I would say that's rather special. \nI believe any prayer is useful.\n2- When we pray to Mary or any of the saints, we are usually asking them to pray for us. Each saint was made so for different reasons. They must have 3 (I believe) miracles performed in their name in order to reach saint hood. Each saint has "specializes" in different miracles. If we need a specific miracle in our lives it helps to pray to that particular saint as well as Jesus and God.\n\n3- Purgatory, I myself don't know if it exists or not. There is no evidence it exists, for that matter, there is not proof of heaven or hell either, it's all about faith.\nI pray for the dead as a sign of respect to those who have go on before me.\n\nDon't know if this will convince you or not, but just believe in what you want. Just be a good person and do the best you can do while you're here on earth. God loves us all no matter what. I really don't think God will freak if you don't pray to Mary or the Saints.
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Mary is Ever Virgin\nExodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.\n\nExodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.\n\nEzek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.\n\nMark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.\n\nLuke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times. \n\nLuke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings. \n\nJohn 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers. \n\nJohn 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.\n\nJohn 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary. \n\nMatt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."\n\nMatt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.\n\nMark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.\n\nMatt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.\n\n Jesus' "Brothers" (adelphoi)) = Cousins or Kinsmen\nLuke 1:36 - Elizabeth is Mary's kinswoman. Some Bibles translate kinswoman as "cousin," but this is an improper translation because in Hebrew and Aramaic, there is no word for "cousin." \n\nLuke 22:32 - Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his "brethren." In this case, we clearly see Jesus using "brethren" to refer to the other apostles, not his biological brothers.\n\nActs 1:12-15 - the gathering of Jesus' "brothers" amounts to about 120. That is a lot of "brothers." Brother means kinsmen in Hebrew.\n\nActs 7:26; 11:1; 13:15,38; 15:3,23,32; 28:17,21 - these are some of many other examples where "brethren" does not mean blood relations.\n\nRom. 9:3 - Paul uses "brethren" and "kinsmen" interchangeably. "Brothers" of Jesus does not prove Mary had other children.\n\nGen. 11:26-28 - Lot is Abraham's nephew ("anepsios") / Gen. 13:8; 14:14,16 - Lot is still called Abraham's brother (adelphos") . This proves that, although a Greek word for cousin is "anepsios," Scripture also uses "adelphos" to desc
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The bible never says Mary stayed a virgin.  It is very clear that Mary and Joseph had other children after Jesus' birth.  \nThe bible says that they waited to have sex until after Jesus was born.\nMatt 1\n23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. \n24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: \n25 And KNEW her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. \n\nWe would be foolish to think they stayed married their whole lives without having sex.  Plus the mention of Jesus' brothers and sisters confirms that they did.\n\nThe Catholics believe that Mary stayed a virgin so they could diefy her.  They want to put her on the same pedestal as Jesus and sometimes above Him.  \nIf they would just read the bible, they would understand that this is a false teaching and breaks the most sacred of the 10 commandments "Thou shalt have no other gods before me".
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We know from Jewish records of familiy history that Mary was born at home, but after being weaned from her mother, she was sent to live in the temple, as were many other girls and boys during this time and culture.\n\nShe was raised and educated in the temple until she was close to puberty.  Boys could live in the temple past puberty, but girls could not, as they would be defiling the temple at the onset of puberty as per levitical law.\n\nWhen she was brought back home, her parents set out to marry her off and Joseph was the one chosen to be her husband.  From this point on, there was a one year waiting period in which she would continue to live at home and wait for Joseph to come and claim his bride.\n\nThere is actually more of Mary's childhood written in the Quran (copied from Jewish records) than in the bible. I find that quite interesting especially from those who claim that the bible was put together by Catholics for Catholics, as they would have put everything they could have about Mary if they had put the bible together.\n\nThere are also some false writing that have endured over the years about both Mary and Joseph.  You would have to compare them to secular records of times of births and deaths to try and judge truthfullness and accuracy.\n\nI have not researched Joseph's background and truthfully there is not much available for research.  There is a lot of speculation, but not much authentic truth to go on.
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Mary is Ever Virgin\nExodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.\n\nExodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.\n\nEzek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.\n\nMark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.\n\nLuke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times. \n\nLuke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings. \n\nJohn 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers. \n\nJohn 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.\n\nJohn 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary. \n\nMatt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."\n\nMatt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.\n\nMark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.\n\nMatt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.\n\n\nJesus' "Brothers" (adelphoi)) = Cousins or Kinsmen\nLuke 1:36 - Elizabeth is Mary's kinswoman. Some Bibles translate kinswoman as "cousin," but this is an improper translation because in Hebrew and Aramaic, there is no word for "cousin." \n\nLuke 22:32 - Jesus tells Peter to strengthen his "brethren." In this case, we clearly see Jesus using "brethren" to refer to the other apostles, not his biological brothers.\n\nActs 1:12-15 - the gathering of Jesus' "brothers" amounts to about 120. That is a lot of "brothers." Brother means kinsmen in Hebrew.\n\nActs 7:26; 11:1; 13:15,38; 15:3,23,32; 28:17,21 - these are some of many other examples where "brethren" does not mean blood relations.\n\nRom. 9:3 - Paul uses "brethren" and "kinsmen" interchangeably. "Brothers" of Jesus does not prove Mary had other children.\n\nGen. 11:26-28 - Lot is Abraham's nephew ("anepsios") / Gen. 13:8; 14:14,16 - Lot is still called Abraham's brother (adelphos") . This proves that, although a Greek word for cousin is "anepsios," Scripture also uses "adelphos" to des
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What do you mean by believe? I believe she lived, and I believe she was the mother of Jesus, and I believe that she was a virgin until Jesus was born. I think you might mean Catholic practice of praying to Mary and so on. That I do not believe - not at all, as the Bible says nothing about praying to Mary. I don't pray to anyone but God the Father, but I do so in the name of Jesus - as the Bible says.\n\n\nThe Bible further states that Jesus had siblings, and says that Mary did not know her husband UNTIL Jesus was born (this last is found in Matthew, and the siblings part is in Mark 3:31). These half siblings would have been direct descendents of Mary, not of Jesus. There is nothing wrong with there being descendents related to Jesus... I think people think that if others were related to him, it would mean they were born with part of the Holy Spirit, since Jesus was conceived of the Spirit - but that's not true. The siblings were born of two humans and were all human. The Holy Spirit had nothing to do with their conceptions.
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No and yes.\n\nHow was James, “the brother of the Lord,” (Matt. 13:55, Acts 15:13-21, 1 Cor. 15:7, Gal. 1:19) related to Jesus? All believers agree he was related, but no one knows exactly how.\n\nThe possibilities are that James was:\n\n1. A full brother of Jesus, another Son of God born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. No one to my knowledge accepts that God had another child by the Blessed Virgin Mary.\n\n2. A half-brother of Jesus, a younger son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some Christians believe this possibility but most Christians including those who are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox believe that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life.\n\n3. A stepbrother of Jesus, a son of Joseph and a previous wife. Many Christians believe that Joseph had a least one previous marriage that resulted in children.\n\n4. A stepbrother of Jesus, an adopted son of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary. When parents died, relatives frequently took their children in and raised them as thier own. An adopted orphaned boy would be considered the brother of Jesus.\n\n5. A cousin of Jesus. The Aramaic language has no word for cousin. Aramaic frequently uses the word “aha,” which we translate into Greek as “adelphos” or English as brother, for cousin.\n\n6. A comrade of Jesus. This is a remote possibility. Greek uses adelphos the same as English does in “a band of brothers.” \n\nPossibilities 1 and 2 obviously go against Catholic beliefs.\n\nThe Catholic Church prefers possibility 5 but 3, 4 and 6 would not go against doctrine. \n\nWith love in Christ.
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I keep saying it's jealousy. We have the Mother the Father loves best. The Blessed Virgin Mary. Just like Josephs brothers were jealous of him our brothers and sisters in Christ are jealous of us and the wonderful things the Lord has given to us. If they only understood though that those that have been given much, much is expected, they would not say the things they do because many a Catholic offers up their pain and suffering and death not only for their own sins but, as a member of the Body of Christ -- the sins of these people who deny they are Christian. Didn't St. Paul say "I make up in my body's suffering for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ?". And also Romans 8:17\n\nFor other denominations Holy Communion is just a symbol but, not for Catholics because our Magisterium has the ordination to consecrate the bread and wine into his ACTUAL Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Didn't Joseph tell his brothers that he wanted Benjamin left with him and didn't Jesus say he wanted John to remain forever? This is the same thing. John the youngest brother of Jesus who stood beneath the cross with Mary Jesus Mother-- just like the Catholics do at every Mass. The other denominations looked on from a distance it says but, the Catholics are there!!
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You have asked a question that has plagued me!\n\nI'm just trying to fathom this deal.  Joseph was considerably older than Mary.  Is their conjugal arrangement  discussed in scripture? I dunno, but I've imagined a scene that might sound like this:\n\nMary:  Umm Honey?  \nJoseph: Yes, dear?\nM:   I have something to tell you?\nJ:    Yes? What is it?\nM:   Well.  you see...\nJ:    Just tell me. What's the matter.\nM:   Well..\nJ:    Just spit it out.. come on.. what is it?\n\n(Pregnant pause...)\n\nM:    I'm preggers.\nJ:     Excuse me?  You're what?\nM:   Preggers, knocked up.. I am pregnant.. (she's crying)\nJ:    There, there my dear.  Oh.. wait?  (counting on his fingers)\n        It's been a long time since we... Wait   a   minute. You  said\n        you were a .. a.. \nM:    VIRGIN!! (Still crying) yes, I AM a Virgin!   you see.\nJ:    I see?  I SEE??  You tramp!!  Harlot!  Why I oughta..\nM:   Dear Joseph.. it's not like that.  It's like I've been chosen..\nJ:   (Interrupting)  Chosen?? Chosen??? I've got your chosen right\n      here!  (moves toward her)\nM:   (Cowering a little)  JOSEPH.  Stop!  I was visited by an angel\n        of the Lord!  He was so beautiful and all angleific and every-\n       thing!  He said I was Chosen and that ...\nJ:    Chosen!? Angel?  Are you nuts!!?  You got it on with an \n       ANGEL?  What kind of fool do you take me for?\nM:   (Under her breath.. There's no fool like an old fool..) He said \n        I was Chosen and we're gonna have a baby and the \n       baby is going to be the Son of God!\n\nJoseph just looks at her shaking his head.  Mary stands and holds her hands at her sides palms up.  She looks like a statue on a Catholic medal.  There's a little nimbus around her head.\n\nJ:     Jesus Christ! You want me to believe that an Angel  came\n        and did what? \nM:    Actually, it was rather nice.  He sorta glowed in that angel-\n        ific way, and zappo, I'm preggers!  Jesus?  That sounds like\n        a nice name.. hmmm Jesus Christ..\n\nLong pause..\n\nJ:      (Mumbling..) Jesus Christ Almighty!! What's for dinner?    \n         Your mother isn't coming over again is she?\nM:     You're not upset are you?\nJ:      I'll set the table.  (Mumbles.. ) Jesus Christ!  Jeeezus!\n\nMary hums a little supper preparation tune and wonders when Joseph will fix the front door, which hasn't closed right for months.
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Are you speaking of Mary?  She only had one child that was killed as you say "for the Love of mankind". Most of us show her great respect. She knows great emotional pain. She is the blessed one. She is the Theotokos.
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there are no statues of God, nobody knows what God looks like. Yes, they do acknowledge the Virgin Mary as a very important person in the Catholic religion.
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This was during the Crucifixion.\n\nGenerally considered that Joseph was dead and, thusly, Mary was a widow.\n\nJesus, being thoughtful of His mother, was asking that the beloved disciple, John, take care of her.  So, "woman, behold thy son; son, behold thy mother"\n\nApparently a way of speaking, in that age and culture, (and when words were at a great premium)  whereby Jesus said to Mary, now John will be like a son to you; taking care of you. And to John He said, take care of Mary just as you would your own mother.
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Well, that would make him more human than divine (or, at least, in some people's minds, detract from his divinity).  For pretty much the same reason, the Catholic Church upholds the idea that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a perpetual virgin.  (They state that she and Joseph never consummated their marriage.  To have had siblings would have made Jesus too human.  People would have pointed to the mortality of the siblings as arguement that Jesus was merely a human philosopher.)\nAlso, a belief system that would have allowed for such an idea as the marriage of Jesus and Mary Magdalene would have set up a complicated sytem of privilege.  Claimants of descent from Jesus would have caused huge political consequences, if such claims didn't otherwise doom the religion early on.\nIn short, such a belief would have complicated the religion.
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A fourth-century Church council, the Council of Ephesus, declared it heretical.\n\nIt's heretical because it denies the hypostatic union -- the belief that Jesus, though He has two natures (the divine and the human) is one divine person.  \n\nTo say that Mary is the mother only of His human nature is to "split Him up" in a way that contradicts the hypostatic union.  \n\nCuriously, Protestants believe in the hypostatic union but do not believe that Mary was the Mother of God.  They try to have it both ways, but they really can't.  They're trying to wed their belief in the hypostatic union with their belief that Mary was the mother of Jesus' "human side" only.  \n\nCatholic teaching -- that Mary is the mother of the whole person of Jesus, of His divine and human natures -- is much more consistent with the Christian doctrine of the hypostatic union.
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What most christians seem to forget is that Mary got married to Joseph!And what does it matter if Jesus was not concieved through sex?Mary was still pregnant and she was a young girl!\n\nThen they hav the nerve to condemn a man when his marriage to Aisha was legitimate!\n\nHeck in America there are states that allows marriage for 12yr olds!\n\n\nEDIT:to the person below me:AISHA was NOT related to Muhammad!Abu Bakr, Aisha's father, was Muhammad spiritual brother,his comrade!
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Actually there is no credible evidence from the original Gospel texts that would indicate that Mary was a whore, prostitue, or women of ill repute.  Many of these references where translated in the middle ages, not conicidentally at the time that the Church was consolidating its power after the vacuum created by the fall of the Roman Empire.  Many theological scholars believe that Mary was in fact a close (maybe even closer than Peter) disciple.  As too your question about Mary being Jesus' houswife. There is no credible evidence, either scriptual, archeological, or historical that would indicate that Mary was involved in with Jesus in any other copacity than a close friend, disciple, and follower