St. Mary
Inside Paintings - North Wall
St. Mary
The life of the Blessed Virgin Mary is marked by humility, faith, and profound participation in God’s salvific plan. The Church, in her love and veneration for the Theotokos – the Mother of God – remembers key moments that reveal both God’s power and Mary’s faithfulness. These nine “miracles” are not simply events, but divine signs woven into salvation history.
1. The Annunciation – God’s Word Dwells in Her
Luke 1:26–38
The Archangel Gabriel proclaims the unthinkable: a virgin shall bear a son, the Son of the Most High. Mary’s “Let it be to me according to your word” becomes the echo of humanity’s consent to God’s plan. The Incarnation begins with her “Yes,” making her the new Eve.
2. The Visitation – The Unborn Bear Witness
Luke 1:39–45
Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, and the unborn John the Baptist leaps in the womb, recognizing the Messiah’s presence. Elizabeth exclaims: “Blessed are you among women!” Mary’s presence becomes a bearer of blessing and joy.
3. The Nativity – God is Born in Poverty
Luke 2:6–7
In the humblest of places, the Eternal Word is born of Mary. She swaddles the Infinite in cloth and lays Him in a manger. The angels glorify, and shepherds adore. The one who gave birth without corruption is revealed to the world.
4. The Flight into Egypt – God Protected by His Mother
Matthew 2:13–15
Warned in a dream, Joseph takes Mary and the Christ Child to Egypt. Mary becomes the protector of the Redeemer, fulfilling the prophecy: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
5. The Presentation in the Temple – The Sword Foretold
Luke 2:22–35
Mary presents Jesus in the temple, obedient to the Law. Simeon blesses the child but prophesies that a sword will pierce Mary’s soul—a foretelling of the Cross.
6. The Finding in the Temple – The Child Teaches the Wise
Luke 2:41–50
When twelve-year-old Jesus is found teaching in the temple, Mary hears Him say: “Did you not know I must be in My Father’s house?” Though puzzled, she treasures these words in her heart, continuing to ponder the mystery of her Son.
7. The Passing of Joseph – Guardian of the Holy Family
(Sacred Tradition)
Though not recorded in the Gospels, the Church holds that Joseph died before Jesus’ public ministry began. Mary, now a widow, continues faithfully, enduring silence and solitude with trust in God’s providence.
8. The Dormition – A Holy Departure
(Sacred Tradition)
Mary’s life ends in peace and holiness. In the Orthodox tradition, her “Dormition” (falling asleep) is not a tragic death, but a blessed passage. Surrounded by the apostles, her soul is received by Christ, her Son.
9. Her Assumption – Taken into Heavenly Glory
(Tradition)
The Church teaches that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven. The Orthodox celebrate the Dormition, and the Latin Church the Assumption. This is the crowning of her earthly journey—she who bore God now shares fully in His glory.