Our brothers
Even in ancient times people believe on something, which
is chosen by the Lord. The Pharaoh, though powerful, knows through what was
revealed in his dreams that Abraham is anointed by God and can intercede for
God and man. Thus great fear came unto him because he has lusted to the beauty
of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, who was introduced to him by Abraham as the latter’s
sister so that they could seek refuge in Egypt.
Even
at this early, the concept of being anointed was already there, which means
that one is blessed by the Lord. These two couples were chosen by God that He
likewise changed their names from Abram to Abraham, from Sarai to Sarah.
‘Abraham’s deceit may not be fully defensible for his statement was at least
half-truth for Sarah was indeed his relative, called “a sister” in Hebrew’
(footnote to Genesis 12:13 which goes this way: v. 13 - ‘Please say, therefore,
that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me on your account and my life
may be spared for your sake.’-NAB)
Also
in the ARAMAIC word, brothers and sisters are identified to as our relatives.
The crowd seated around Jesus referring to his relatives, whom they call his
BROTHERS and SISTERS, are diverting Jesus attention. Thus, they said in this
way: “Master, your mother and your brothers [and your sisters] are
outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and
[my] brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here
are my mother and my brothers. [For] whoever does the will of God are my
brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:32-35).
Our
fellow believers from other religious sects or the non-Catholics, which I am
asking apology from for this truth cannot be avoided, questions on Jesus not
having maternal brothers and sisters and been indifferent over as against the
certainty of this truth unlike Catholics who believe that Mary had only one
sibling and that is Jesus. You would make Mary a whore to say that this clean
vessel chosen by God was imputed with some kind of dirt that after God has used
her for Holy Ghost indwelling that she may conceived the Son of God, he was
used by a man to bear other children, as if she was any other woman who had not
been used by God that His Son may be conceived through the power of the Holy
Spirit. But truth should surface that Joseph had protected the virginity of
Mary all throughout as we may reiterate that Joses, Salome and some others,
which are mentioned in other scripture texts and was carefully noted by our
fellow Christian brothers from the Protestants, are but mere relatives of
Jesus.
I
don’t know how true is this tale from an inferior non-Roman Catholic who claims
to be Catholics also about Mary’s conception. According to this tale which I
believe should be discussed, Joachim, who allegedly was the also foster father
of Mary with the former being husband to Anna was praying in the temple when a
big flower that is white fall before him, and this flower has a very enchanting
strong smell, that, just as the story goes as relayed to me, gives a
captivating smell to the natives around and even at far distance from the
temple, and all who smelled its fragrance was cured by their illness, that they
crave to possess the flower, thus Joachim run away from the natives and hide
the flower in the trunk (chest), but even this being in the trunk had continue
to give the fascinating smell to the natives who followed Joachim that they
decided to bang the door of the couple’s residence so that they could break in.
It
is by intuition that Joachim decided to hand over the flower to his wife Anna,
a barren woman in her old age. It is somehow by fear that Anna, who was about
to be grabbed of the flower by a native, swallowed the flower, and it is by
mystery that from then on, she started to conceive in her womb Mary without
being touched by Joachim. My source asserts that this was only passed from
mouth to mouth as part of the doctrine of Mariology for the fear that had this
been written, some others will worship Mary. But we know from the start that
Mary though special to God was human and not a god, as different from Jesus who
was God from the beginning, and that worship only belongs to God.
Going
back to the story of Abraham, Sarah too was not fertile, thus she asked Hagar,
her slave woman from Egypt and being her subject to sleep with Abraham. Thus
Ishmael was born. Likewise Sarah found favor with God that she bore Isaac.
Accordingly, the habitat was given to Isaac whom the Lord prepares for
establishing his covenant to Isaac. But God heard the cry of Ishmael from the
desert thus Ishmael’s descendants was entrusted with the oil of the desert with
Ishmael becoming the father of our Moslem brothers.
They
too are our brothers in faith by circumcision of the flesh, while we to the
Jews were brothers by circumcision of the heart, being regarded as not Jews but
Gentiles, of which the Holy Spirit indwelling even denied by others did not end
in Judea, even in Samaria but continues with us who are in the uttermost part
of the earth with the Spirit speaking revelations in His church, of which aside
from Catholics, experience of speaking in tongues was also experienced by the
Oneness and some others as opposed also by as I may say, the Baptist who
somehow believes that the gift of tongues was any other ordinary language with
this to their knowledge ceased after that the time of the apostles had come to
pass.
Somehow,
the Holy Spirit continues to extend revelations to His church for revelation
remains as the manifestation of God himself and his plan of salvation for us.
-Jyotisman
Nearu Upendra
