These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his
brethren." [Acts i. 13.] Not one word is said of Mary having been
present to witness even the ascension of her blessed Son; we read no
command of our Lord, no wish expressed, no distant intimation to his
disciples that they should even show to her marks of respect and honour;
not an allusion is there made to any superiority or distinction and
preeminence. Sixty years at the least are generally considered to be
comprehended within the subsequent history of the New Testament before
the Apocalypse was written; but neither in the narrative, nor in the
Epistles, nor yet in the prophetic part of the Holy Book, is there the
most distant allusion to Mary. Of him to whose loving care our dying
Lord committed his beloved mother of especial trust, we hear much. John,
we find, putting forth the miraculous power of Christ at the Beautiful
Gate of the Temple; we find him imprisoned and arraigned before the
Jewish authorities; but not one word is mentioned as to what meanwhile
became of Mary. We find John confirming the Church in Samaria; we find
him an exile in the island of Patmos; but no mention is made of Mary.
Nay, though we have three of his epistles, and the second of them
addressed to one "whom he loved in the truth," we find neither from the
tongue nor from the pen of St.
Pages:
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338