Busted Halo » Ginny Kubitz Moyer

What do we mean when we say that Mary is betrothed to Joseph?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:39:39 +0000

During the time of Jesus, the Jewish marriage process involved two separate parts, the first of which was betrothal. This was an exchange of consent made between a man and a woman before witnesses. Betrothal was binding, and it could only be ended by death or divorce. After the betrothal, there was a period of [...]

Do Catholics have to go to Marian shrines like Fatima once a year?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:36:41 +0000

There’s zero obligation for Catholics to go to Marian shrines. The decision to visit them is totally voluntary. Many shrines do attract large numbers of pilgrims; the Marian apparition site at Lourdes, France, for example, attracts about five million pilgrims a year. Some come in hope for healing (the spring at Lourdes has been associated [...]

Does the Name Mary Mean Anything?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:03:01 +0000

Mary is the English translation of the Hebrew name Miriam. There are different opinions on what it means; some sources say that it means “bitter,” or “beautiful one,” while others say that it derives from the Egyptian word that means “beloved.” It was a common female name at the time of Jesus, as is evident [...]

Between the Covers

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:02:41 +0000

In the last week, two different people have asked me if I have any interest in owning a Kindle. My answer both times was a slightly softer version of “when hell freezes over.” It’s not that I’m morally opposed to e‑readers. I don’t see them as the spawn of Satan, or anything like that. It’s [...]

Did Jesus call Mary Mommy, or some other term?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:00:32 +0000

We don’t know exactly what Jesus called his mother when he was young. The Gospels don’t include any stories where the child Jesus addresses Mary directly, so we can only guess. It seems logical to assume that the young Jesus would have called his mother the Aramaic verison of “Mommy” or “Mama” (Aramaic was the [...]

In my manger scene, my mother insists on not putting the baby Jesus in until Christmas. Many have told me this is proper. But then why is Mary kneeling at an empty feeding trough?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:54:07 +0000

Many families do wait until Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to put the baby Jesus into the manger scene, for the reason that he has not yet been born, and that an empty manger captures the spirit of Advent. This, as you’ve pointed out, means that Mary ends up spending a few weeks kneeling by [...]

How might I pray to Mary in helping me with my relationship with my own mother–which is not a good one!?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:14:22 +0000

This is a great question, and it touches on so much of what Catholics believe about Mary. I’ll throw out a few different ideas here, and hopefully one or more of them will resonate with you. First of all, the fact that you have the desire to heal this relationship means that you’re already on [...]

Where did the “O Mary conceived without sin …”prayer come from?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:54:32 +0000

It comes from the Miraculous Medal, which is a small medal often worn by Catholics. In 1830, a young French nun named Catherine Labouré had several visions of Mary. In one of these visions, she saw Mary standing on a globe with a snake (Satan) under her feet. Around the image of Mary, Catherine saw [...]

After Joseph died, since Jesus was busy preaching, who took care of Mary in her old age?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:11:37 +0000

There is almost no information in the Gospels about what Mary was doing or where she was during the years of Jesus’ ministry. One story we do have, told by three of the four evangelists (Mark 3: 31-35, Luke 8:19-21, and Matthew 12:46-50), talks about how Mary and Jesus’ brothers come looking for him. The [...]

Did Mary write a Gospel?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:02:52 +0000

No, Mary did not write a Gospel, or anything else that we know of. There is a text that is known as the Gospel of Mary, but the Mary in question is Mary Magdalene, not Mary the mother of Jesus. It’s an apocryphal text, meaning that it is written in the style of sacred Scripture [...]

Spooky Saints No More

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:05:04 +0000

Lately, I've been considering teaching my son Matthew about the saints. At the big-boy age of 5, he's surely old enough to become captivated by their stories. But then I realized that when you talk about the lives of the saints, you also have to talk about their deaths.

Therein lies the problem.

Not every saint had a gruesome death, of course, but quite a few of them did. And for a kid whose imaginative diet consists of nothing more sinister than the dragon that Harold draws with his magic purple crayon, I can hardly fathom telling him about St. Agnes, whose head was cut off, or St. Lawrence, who was literally grilled alive. My child already has an innate fear of the dark; I don't need to tell him stories that will encourage it.

Is the song “Ave Maria” appropriate for a wedding?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:43:28 +0000

The song “Ave Maria” is a popular choice for Catholic weddings, and it is liturgically appropriate to include it, if the couple chooses to do so. (In fact, it was a part of my own wedding Mass.) When the bride and/or groom has a close relationship to Mary, the song can be a special way [...]

Does a Nun’s Habit have anything to do with Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:41:55 +0000

Although nun’s habits (particularly the veils) may make them look like Mary, the habit actually has a broader symbolic meaning. Traditionally speaking, the habit is an outward sign of the nun’s vocation, a way of identifying her total dedication to God. (Even the religious orders who no longer wear formal habits often have some element [...]

Is Mary the patron saint of women who have cancer associated with female organs?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:30:23 +0000

The patron saint for cancer in general is St. Peregrine. (There are a few others, but Peregrine is the most well-known.) Most specific forms of cancer, female or otherwise, don’t have their own patron saint (one notable exception is St. Agatha for breast cancer). That said, if you know of someone dealing with cancer, there’s [...]

How many colleges and universities are named after Mary in the US?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:41:05 +0000

I consulted the website for the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and from their list of Catholic schools, I counted 46 whose names are Marian in character. Most of these are schools that were obviously named after Mary, like the many schools that are called Notre Dame (French for “Our Lady”) or that have [...]

Can I wear a rosary around my neck?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:00:16 +0000

My knee-jerk response to this was no, because that’s what the good sisters told me in Catholic school thirty years ago. But I did a little research, and found that it’s not quite as clear-cut as that. On the one hand, it makes sense that the sisters told us not to drape rosaries around our [...]

Did Mary have the stigmata?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:38:27 +0000

Mary never had the stigmata (miraculous wounds or pain that correspond to the physical suffering of Christ) . She certainly suffered great emotional pain; Simeon said as much during the Presentation of the infant Jesus, when he told Mary that a sword would pierce her soul. I’ve no doubt she watched her son being crucified [...]

‘Safe With Him’: What We Can Learn from Father Mychal Judge

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:00:36 +0000

The first picture I ever saw of Father Mychal Judge was a photo of his dead body. In the days following 9/11, I was haunted by the image of four men carrying the New York City fire department chaplain away from the Twin Towers. With the firefighters he served, Judge answered the calls for help, only to lose his life at Ground Zero. He was the first registered death of 9/11. At first, I saw him as a tragic figure, a searing example of this country’s wounds. Since learning about his life, though, my perspective has shifted. Now I see him as a symbol of compassion, a vivid example of what it means to heal and be healed.

Do we ever say the Hail Mary at Mass?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:34:29 +0000

No, the Hail Mary is not a part of the Catholic Mass. That said, I have been to a few Masses where the priest inserts a Hail Mary at the end of his homily (this sometimes happens on Mother’s Day or on a Marian feast day). I know of no prohibitions against doing so as [...]

A friend stopped me and we talked about my new job. She then asked if we could pray a Hail Mary together for the success of my new career? It kind of weirded me out. Should I have refused her request?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 04:47:29 +0000

First of all, congratulations on the new job. Second, it’s a bit hard to answer the question as I’m not entirely sure where your discomfort lies. Does it lie in the fact that it felt wrong to pray for success? If so, rest easy. There is nothing wrong with asking for God’s help so you [...]

Did Mary die before her Assumption?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:05:00 +0000

In the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Piux XII wrote that Mary, “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Thus the Assumption, a long-standing tradition of the Church, was formalized into a dogma of faith. The wording of this quotation, however, leaves open the question you posed: Did Mary [...]

Do you think Mary allowed Jesus to have a pet?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:42:18 +0000

Well, there’s no mention of Spot or Kitty in the Gospels, so it’s hard to say for certain. I’m guessing that pet ownership was not a big thing in Nazareth during Jesus’ lifetime; most families would probably have only been able to afford to keep animals that were useful in some way (food production, etc.). [...]

Why is Mary still appearing?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 04:56:02 +0000

First of all, I’d be wary of saying that Mary is “still appearing,” as that wording implies that there are approved apparitions happening on a daily basis. Though alleged Marian sightings do make for great news stories, only a very few of them have been investigated by the Church and found to be worthy of [...]

How come Mary has so many feast days and different names?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:23:24 +0000

Feast days (and solemnities and memorials) are days in the liturgical calendar where the Church highlights and honors an aspect of the Lord, of Mary, or of a particular saint. The Marian days usually fall into different categories. Some of them commemorate a particular event in Scripture, such as the Annunciation or the Visitation. Others [...]

How does the Gospel of Matthew depict Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 04:43:17 +0000

Matthew is one of the two gospels (along with Luke) to include an infancy narrative. Unlike Luke, though, Matthew gives a greater emphasis on Joseph than on Mary. Matthew tells the story of how Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant and intended to divorce her quietly, until he received a visit from the angel of [...]

How difficult must it have been for Mary to teach anything to Jesus?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 04:40:42 +0000

Question: How difficult must it have been for Mary to teach anything to Jesus? Wouldn’t he already know twenty ways to do whatever she asked? Your question touches on one of the most intriguing aspects of Jesus: the fact that he was both fully human and fully divine. Admittedly, it’s hard to imagine how being [...]

When Mary and Jesus’ brothers go to him are they trying to warn him about something?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 04:38:03 +0000

We don’t actually know why they came to find him. This story shows up in three places (Mark 3: 31-35, Luke 8:19-21, and Matthew 12:46-50), and none of the evangelists mentions the reason why Mary and Jesus’ brothers (often understood to be half-brothers or cousins; see the New American Bible footnote for Mark 6:3) are [...]

How does the Gospel of John depict Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:06:36 +0000

John’s Gospel has no birth or infancy narratives, but it does have two key stories that highlight Mary’s involvement in Jesus’ adult life. The first is the Wedding at Cana, when Mary tells Jesus that there is no more wine. Though he responds by saying, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has [...]

How does the Gospel of Luke depict Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 04:39:36 +0000

Luke’s Gospel has much more information about Mary than the other three do. He gives us a very intimate portrait of her, showing her initial surprise at the arrival of the angel Gabriel and her subsequent acceptance of her role as the Mother of the Savior. Luke also includes the story of Mary visiting her [...]

How does the Gospel of Mark portray Mary?

Ginny Kubitz Moyer — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 04:38:14 +0000

Of the four Gospels, Mark has the least information about Mary. There is no infancy narrative in Mark, so we hear nothing about Jesus’ birth or early life. The first reference to Mary is in Mark 3:31-35, when Jesus’ family (including his mom) come looking for him while he is preaching. Mary is later mentioned [...]