Virgin Mary

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Mary was the mother of Jesus. Her story is told in the New Testament of the Bible.

(Her name is written in other languages as:- Judeo-Aramaic מרים Maryām "Bitter"; Arabic مريم (Maryam); Septuagint Greek Μαριαμ, Mariam, Μαρια, Maria; Syriac: Mart Maryam)

[edit] Mary in the Bible

Christian beliefs about Mary are based on the Bible. In the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, it says that Mary was a young woman who was engaged to be married to a man called Joseph. The Gospel of Luke says that an angel came to Mary to tell her that she would give birth to a Son and she should call him Jesus and that he would save people from their sins.

Mary said "How can this happen? I am a virgin!" The angel said "With God, anything can happen!"

When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, he thought about what he should do. If he married her, he would be unclean. He decided to privately break the engagement. But then he had a dream. An angel told him that the baby was the Son of God.

At this time, the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, made a law that everyone in the Roman Empire must pay tax. Everyone had to go back to the town that their family came from, to have their name put on the tax lists. Joseph came from Bethlehem, which was called The City of David. Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem and she gave birth to the baby, Jesus, in an animal shed, because there was no room for them.

The Bible tells that thirty-three years later Jesus was killed by crucifixion. Although many of Jesus' friends were frightened and ran away, Mary stood by the cross and was with Jesus when he died. As he was dying, he asked a young disciple to care for Mary as if she was his own Mother, and the disciple took her back to his home. On the third day, as it says in the Bible, Mary went with other women to the grave where Jesus had been laid, to wash his body with oil. An angel told the women that Jesus was not there. The angel said "He is risen."

[edit] Giving honour to Mary

Mary is given honour in the Christian faith, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Church as the Mother of God. (Jesus is believed to be God made man.) Mary is also given honour by Muslims because the Quran says that she was a virgin when she gave birth to her son, Jesus, who is given honour by Muslims as a great prophet.

Mary is often called by Christians The Blessed Virgin Mary. There are many feast days which honour the Virgin Mary, such as the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on 8 September which remembers her birth.

The Virgin Mary is often shown in Christian art. Many paintings show Mary with the baby Jesus.

Mary is often honoured with the words "Hail Mary, you are full of God's Grace! Blessed are you above other women and blessed is the child from your womb, Jesus!"