The Life of Mary

By Phyllis Ann Giarraffa

This book is concerning the life and times of Mary, mother of Jesus, and her continued presence throughout history. Through the pages you will find combinations of historical and Biblical accounts, along with inspiring stories that illustrate her life.

 

From the time before she was born, Mary was preordained to have a calling on her life. She was handpicked to be chosen by God. You will also get a glimpse into the many religious perspectives that show the significance of her life and her role in God's plan. Her destiny may have been to give birth to the King of Kings, but her life was dedicated to God and to the Works of the Kingdom even after the death of her son.

 

It is the author's hope that this book will appeal to those of all religions to gain knowledge of Mary, Mother of Jesus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Warrioress Publishing
• Release date: Oct 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223785064

Book preview

Preface

Chapter Separator

The information found in this book is a collaboration of materials from Biblical and historical stories combined with inspired stories, some that was handwritten thirty-five years ago. The material was entrusted to me by my friend, spiritual teacher, and minister from England. The sources of some of the material is unknown, however most was inspired by Dolores Saunders.

The material that was given to me was then combined with the history of Mary that was gathered throughout the Holy Bible, Commentaries, and other Historical Scriptures and stories to give a complete life of the Blessed Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

From the time before she was born, this book will show that there was a call on her life to be more than a normal Jewish woman. She was chosen to do great things from the beginning. Her destiny may have been to give birth to the King of Kings, but her life was dedicated to God and to the works of the Kingdom even after the death of her Son.

This is the first book in a series to come that takes you on a discovery journey through spiritual life and spirituality of the Blessed Mother. It is with high hopes that this book will bring you to a better understanding of her life and her importance in history and that you look forward to continuing this journey with the next books to come.

The Introduction

Chapter Separator

Take a walk through the life of Mary and her family. From her birth to the death of her husband, through the birth,

death, and resurrection of her son, Jesus. Follow her love, compassion, pain and on her travels with the disciples right up until her last breath.

This is not the first book about the Blessed Mother, and it is sure not to be the last, but I would like to think that this book is different in many ways. There has been much said and written about her already, yet it amazes me how in general we still know so little about her life and what her perspective was on all that was bestowed upon her. Being left to our own devices, most of what we know seems to stem from a personal relationship with her. But how can the average person form a proper relationship with our guiding Mother, when our comprehension of her and what she represents remains so unclear?

That is what this book is really about, becoming intimately familiar with our Blessed Mother and truly forming that precious bond with her. In this respect, it is important to understand her better, so that we can allow her to show up in our lives in the way that she has for countless others throughout time for those who knew her, as documented in this book.

Collectively, most Christians believe in the Immaculate Conception, that Mary gave virgin birth to God’s Son. They differ however, where Catholics believe in praying the rosaries, the assumption and that Mary intercedes with their prayers to God. Christians believe in her legacy of obedience and strength as a great woman of God, but because it is not written in Scripture, they do not believe in the Assumption or her intercession.

Others have told us about her triumphs and trials, her ups and downs, but what about her thoughts, feelings, and motivation throughout all that she witnessed and endured? Surely, she had these things, after all, she was only a powerful part of Jesus’ ministry and an integral part of the greatest mission of all time, the unfolding of God’s divine plan for the salvation of humankind.

Through attending services and reading material related to the Blessed Mother, we often hear more of the same, which in turn still leaves our understanding of what it was like for her on earth, her message, and teachings, incomplete. Even the Bible in all of its perfection, wisdom, and glory brushes over much about the Blessed Mother’s life, often leaving wide gaps in between her mentions and then stopping short on her elder years. This is not a criticism, because she was not the central figure of the Bible in the way that she is in this book nor the way that she has been in many of our lives.

That is not to slight any book that has come before, because all of them are greatly important and serve as the catalyst and inspiration for this one. We are only trying to build on what we have known in love, light, unity, and service to our Blessed Mother.

Nothing in this book is meant to conflict with any tradition, or breaking the guidelines of the Bible, the only intention is to build upon what has already been written, especially in sacred Scripture. We know so much more now thanks to historical and Biblical scholars, the works of venerated Saints such as Sister Catherine Emmerich and the Venerable Mary of Agreda, inspired stories by visionary authors like Dolores Saunders, and even the average person who she has touched.

This book deals with the life and times of our Blessed Mother. These are stories that follow the historical timeline of the Bible, which most of us know and love already. It offers a new perspective that gives the Blessed Mother an inspirational voice to her thoughts and feelings. It is written in an engaging and easily digestible manner that takes the reader on a spiritual adventure, as well as drawing them into our subject, what it was really like for her as well as those who came before her, what the times were like, and her thoughts, feelings, and inspiration during it all.

Once we understand all of the forces and influences (worldly and heavenly) that combined to make up the Blessed Mother, we get a good picture of who she is as a person and remains as a spiritual presence today. We come to know her personally, as if she has been a dear acquaintance and most trusted confidante for all of our lives, and for some of us, we most definitely has.

The book ends at her Dormition and Assumption which is an imperative ingredient to the Catholic faith in understanding the Blessed Mother’s death. It was left out by patriarchs of old, but Pope Pius the 12th created this as dogma for Roman Catholics. John of Damascene, an Eastern Orthodox monk, known as the doctor of the church wrote of the assumption of how she fulfilled her divine purpose thus completing her earthly course of life.

So, it is my desire that you will find this book equally fun, educational, and inspirational, as it is practical in its everyday use. My feeling is that you will take something very special from it.

Chapter 1: Birth and Life of Mary

Chapter Separator

This is the story of Mary. Blessed among women. Chosen before she attained her earthly body. Purveyor of unity. Giver of compassion. Our Heavenly Mother whose light shines in the darkness, with an open and pure heart. She is the nurturer of all, and the bearer of Jesus Christ, the Savior of all. But what of Mary? Where did she come?

What is her background? In order to comprehend Jesus’ blessing in its entirety, we must start with the life of Mother Mary. And to comprehend the life of Mother Mary, we must go back even further, to her parents:

St. Joachim, and St. Anne.

In many ways, Mary is a mystery. Only Matthew and Luke tell the full Nativity story in their Gospels. Mark only mentions her once, and she is mentioned but once in the Acts of the Apostles. To really grasp Mary, we must understand that she is more than just a mere character in a book, or a symbol in Christian art and Nativity displays during the holidays. Her presence in the history of the world, and in the Catholic Church and the Christian faith, is in modern times more real than ever—and her example and message to her followers remains with the faithful even today.

Mother Mary makes it known that she is here to assist us in our service to God. The Queen of Heaven, the divine light that flows through the cosmos, our Divine Mother is always present and waiting to bestow comfort and strength when she is called upon. She represents the sacred feminine and heals wounds in all of us who ask for her mercy. Within traditional Scripture, little is said about the life of the Blessed Mother Mary. For thousands of years, we have understood her symbology, noted pieces of her life story as it pertains to her son Jesus’ life, and marveled at the responsibility that was bestowed on her, one that she immediately accepted with grace, humility, steadfastness, and faith. Beyond this, the Bible leaves the rest of Mary’s life and existence to mystery. The average Christian can only guess what it might have been like to walk in her shoes, to see through her eyes, and to comprehend all that she experienced.

But with the help of Biblical scholars, historians, archaeologist, and the many documents such as the Protoevangelium of James and the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with the visions of St. Catherine Emmerich, we can bring the ever-present energy of our Mother Mary into a more personal light. We can