THE PRAYER OF THE HAIL MARY
by Giuseppe Monno SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION OF THE FIRST PART The prayer of the Hail Mary has its roots in biblical revelation, particularly in Luke’s infancy narratives. The expression:“Ave, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28)echoes the greeting of the angel Gabriel in the account of the Annunciation. The Latin term ave […]
MARY CO-REDEEMER
by Giuseppe Monno 2 Corinthians 6:1“As his fellow workers, we urge you not to accept the grace of God in vain.” The Blessed Virgin Mary holds a unique and unrepeatable place in the mystery of salvation. Among the many titles attributed to her over the centuries by the Church and by the devotion of the […]
THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY
by Giuseppe Monno The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not an isolated truth nor one without biblical foundation; rather, it is the coherent and necessary outcome of a theological thread that runs through and unifies the whole of Revelation. First of all, Scripture teaches that the corruption of the body is a consequence […]
MOTHER OF GOD
by Giuseppe Monno From the earliest centuries, the Church has venerated the Virgin Mary with the title Theotókos, which literally means “She who gave birth to God.” This term expresses one of the central truths of Christological faith: Jesus Christ is one divine Person in whom two natures subsist—divine and human—both perfect and complete, united […]
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
by Giuseppe Monno The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception—according to which the Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved immune from original sin from the very first instant of her conception—constitutes one of the highest mysteries of the Catholic faith and one of the most radiant manifestations of the grace of Christ. Although it is often misunderstood […]
MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN
by Giuseppe Monno Mary is Queen because her Son is the King of kings (Revelation 17:14). In biblical tradition, the mother of the king held a place of honor in the kingdom: she was the gebirah, the “great lady” or “queen mother.” This was the case with Athaliah, mother of King Ahaziah (2 Kings 10:13), […]
THE EVER-VIRGIN MARY
MARY’S VIRGINITY BEFORE THE BIRTH by Giuseppe Monno THE VIRGINAL CONCEPTION OF JESUS In the Gospel according to Matthew we read: “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a son whom they will call Immanuel, a name […]
THE EVER-VIRGIN
VIRGINITY IN CHILDBIRTH by Giuseppe Monno The Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity—ante partum, in partu, post partum (before, during, and after childbirth)—is not a later development, but belongs to the ancient and constant faith of the Church, as it has been received through Scripture read in the light of Tradition. This doctrine does not […]
THE EVER-VIRGIN
THE CONJUNCTION HEŌS (“UNTIL”) by Giuseppe Monno The Greek conjunction heōs (“until”) in Sacred Scripture carries a meaning that does not necessarily imply any change in the situation after the point in time it marks. This is a well-established observation in Catholic exegesis and is especially important for understanding Matthew 1:25, where the evangelist states […]
THE EVER-VIRGIN
THE FIRSTBORN SON by Giuseppe Monno Luke 2:7 “She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living space.” In the Jewish Law, the firstborn is the child who opens the womb and must be presented […]