Part 2 Non Canonical books of the Bible
I have been asked several times if there are any stories about Mary the Mother of Jesus? The answer is yes. Over the next few weeks we shall examine one such book.
" The Gospel of The Nativity of Mary"
The Gospel of The Nativity of Mary presents a story about Mary’s origin and gives a brief account of her life leading to the birth of Christ. This account of Mary states that her birth was foretold to her parents by an angel of the Lord. There is no Biblical evidence that Mary ever performed a miracle.
“In earlier centuries, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated with greater fanfare. Now, most Catholics probably don’t even realize that the Church has a special feast day set aside to celebrate it. But, like the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important date in our salvation history. Christ needed a mother, and Mary’s own conception and birth, therefore, are events without which Christ’s own birth would have been impossible. It’s no surprise, then, that the Christians of the second century A.D. recorded the details of Mary’s birth in such documents as the Protoevangelium of James and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary. While neither document bears the authority of Scripture, they provide us with everything that we know about the life of Mary before the Annunciation…”
We continue with the next chapter.
CHAP. 2.--And it came to pass that the festival of the dedication[1] was at hand; wherefore also Joachim went up to Jerusalem with some men of his own tribe. Now at that time Issachar[2] was high priest there. And when he saw Joachim with his offering among his other fellow- citizens, he despised him, and spurned his gifts, asking why he, who had no offspring, presumed to stand among those who had; saying that his gifts could not by any means be acceptable to God, since He had deemed him unworthy of off-spring: for the Scripture said, Cursed is every one who has not begot a male or a female in Israel.[3] He said, therefore, that he ought first to be freed from this curse by the begetting of children; and then, and then only, that be should come into the presence of the Lord with his offerings. And Joachim, covered with shame from this reproach that was thrown in his teeth, retired to the shepherds, who were in their pastures with their flocks; nor would he return home, test perchance he might be branded with the same reproach by those of his own tribe, who were there at the time, and had heard this from the priest.
There are many such stories written, as to their validity, this is between you and your creator.
Rev Robert Fuller
