Thanks for the clarification on the “Virgin Birth” and “Immaculate Conception” I always used them interchangeably. Indeed, The Mystery of Faith goes way beyond just the birth of Christ and for the record, I loved that movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

Merry Christmas to you too!

Rafael

When I first saw the billboard, I thought that was Jesus in bed with His mother! Then I figured out that it was Joseph.

Here are just a couple of clarifying points.
1) There is a distinct difference between the “Immaculate Conception” and the “Virgin Birth.” But for many these terms are synonymous. The “Virgin Birth” refers to the conception of our Lord Jesus Christ “who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary” (Nicene Creed). The “Immaculate Conception” refers to the Roman Catholic dogma that the Virgin Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin by a special gift of grace from God. Her parents were Joachim & Anna. The logic being, “How could the Holy Son of God (Jesus) be conceived in a sinful vessel (Mary). The Eastern Orthodox Church doesn’t ‘need’ a dogma of an Immaculate Conception because the Orthodox Church has a different understanding of ‘original sin.’

2) Most, if not all, of the Nativity movies I’ve seen picture a young Mary & Joseph. However the Orthodox Church maintains that Joseph was a much older man who was a widower. This can be seen from many of the ancient icons of the Church.

3) The spiritual leaders of the Ancient Church, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the mother of our Lord as ‘Ever-Virgin’ and Theotokos – the bearer of God. For that which was born of her is fully God.

Now think about this. Do you remember the Ark of the Covenant? Yes. The ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ Ark. (Not Noah’s.) Do you remember when David was moving the Ark on a cart to Jerusalem? One of his men, Uzzah, reached out to touch the Ark and stabilize it, because the oxen had stumbled. He was struck dead. If the Ark of the Covenant, which carried the Law of Moses – the stone tablets, was respected and reverenced by the Jews. Doesn’t it go to reason that Joseph, after receiving the Word from the Angel, knowing that she was going to bear the Son of God, show at least as much respect? Just something to consider.

The Mystery of Faith is not just isolated to the birth of Christ – which many have reduced to a mere human event. Our faith is in the Incarnation (God becoming flesh). In fact Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth prophesied, John the Baptist leaped in her womb, being filled with the Holy Spirit, calling Mary, “the Mother of my Lord!” – even before Jesus was born.

Just something to consider.

Merry Christmas!

Fr. Wade Fahnestock+
Lakeland, FL

http://Facebook.com/FriarWade