Through Her Mercy She Receives

Continued 👇🏾 ✍🏾Through her mercy, she receives the praise and prayers of those who call upon her with faith. The Son of God, the Messiah, the King of our souls and bodies, the Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev. 19:11-16), was born of the Virgin Mary, who became the true temple of Zion. To her the angel said, “Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Since Christ reigned gloriously in her womb, she is honored above all creation. Those who seek refuge in her find grace, protection, and intercession through the motherhood God entrusted to her. ✍🏾It is God who chose the Virgin Mary to be His Mother, His throne, and His dwelling place. As it is written, “The Most High has sanctified His dwelling place” (Ps. 45:4). God chose Mount Zion because He loved it, and likewise He chose the Virgin Mary, setting her apart and sanctifying her as His holy habitation. ✍🏾 “He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved” (Ps. 77:68). Just as He chose Zion, He chose the Virgin Mary who comes from the tribe of Judah. She is pure and undefiled, for in her was fulfilled the word, “God will sit on the throne of His holiness” (Ps. 46:8). Her womb became the world, for in it the Creator entered His creation, and it became His throne (Ps. 131:13). ✍🏾 “Who then can resist the one whom God has chosen?” (Rom. 8:34) Those whom God honors are truly honored, not merely those appointed by men, but those appointed by God Himself. The Virgin Mary stands above all creation because God chose her. ✍🏾The Virgin Mary: Joy of All the Living The Virgin Mary is the joy of all who live. “The joy of all the earth is Mount Zion” (Ps. 47:2). For a time, this referred to the earth where humanity was created from dust. But in its fullness, it reveals that the joy of all the living is our Lady, the Virgin Mary. Why? Because: 👉🏾 “The joy we lost in the garden of Eden, the joy we lost in Eve, has been restored to us by our Lady, the Virgin Mary, the source of our joy, our Mother of Mount Zion.” (Thursday Praise of Saint Ephraim) Through her, humanity’s lost joy returned, as the Lord Himself confirmed when He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother” (John 19:26). She is the prophesied Sabbath, the promised blessing, the ladder Jacob saw, the bridge of reconciliation, our crown, our grace, and our inheritance. She is the one given to us by God as a gift of mercy and a refuge for all generations. 2. Zion as the Heavenly Jerusalem 👉🏾 “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God” (Hebrews 12:22) ✍🏾 Mount Zion here refers to the heavenly Jerusalem, the kingdom of heaven. ✍🏾 The kingdom of heaven is not an earthly city depending on the sun or moon for light. Its radiance comes from the glory of God, and its lamp is the Lamb. Therefore, the Jerusalem of David on earth is not the Mount Zion being described. ✍🏾 Since the heavenly Jerusalem represents the kingdom of heaven, translating the Jerusalem of Zion as an earthly Mount Zion or Jerusalem leads to a misunderstanding of the interpretation. Continues 👇🏾