Why Did Mary Have To Marry Joseph To Have Jesus?

[Theologian in Training]

No, I have not lost my mind, it is a question that the 3rd grade CCD class posed to me. I know the answer, but I am having trouble trying to "translate" it for kids to understand. I think also my brain still hurts from trying to explain everything short of the Trinity yesterday to the 3rd graders as well.

I have been doing these Q&A's in the Church bulletin and the teacher of the 3rd grade decided to have them ask me questions. Thankfully, I am almost done. They seem like easy questions, until you sit down and try to answer them.

Anyway, if anyone has any insights or help, I am all ears.

God Bless

Fr. Brian

[Groo the Wanderer]

Here is what I would say:

Mary did not have to marry Joseph to HAVE Jesus. She had to marry Joseph to be obedient to the law and to be able to live.

Under the law at the time, a woman having a baby outside of marriage would be major problem. Also since women could not own property or have a job, Mary would not have been able to provide for Jesus and give him food or clothes.

Mary and Jesus needed Joseph to protect them and to provide for them until Jesus grew up.




How's dat?

[scardella]

I bet you're learning more theology than you thought you would just by answering 3rd graders' questions.

[Laudate_Dominum]

A family with a mother and father is how it's supposed to be. I wouldn't say it is merely, or even primarily a matter of the law or logistics, it is an expression of the fact that God created us male and female and that children ought to be raised with two parents.

I think there would be real questions if Jesus had been raised by a single parent.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='scardella' post='1120800' date='Nov 15 2006, 03:24 PM']
I bet you're learning more theology than you thought you would just by answering 3rd graders' questions.
[/quote]

More than I ever realized

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' post='1120756' date='Nov 15 2006, 02:12 PM']
Here is what I would say:

Mary did not have to marry Joseph to HAVE Jesus. She had to marry Joseph to be obedient to the law and to be able to live.

Under the law at the time, a woman having a baby outside of marriage would be major problem. Also since women could not own property or have a job, Mary would not have been able to provide for Jesus and give him food or clothes.

Mary and Jesus needed Joseph to protect them and to provide for them until Jesus grew up.
How's dat?
[/quote]

It is good, but this is for the bulletin, so I make it understandable enough for 3rd graders, to a certain degree, but educational enough for the rest, to a certain degree. The balance is what kills me.

[tonyofpadua]

Didn't it also have something to do with Joseph being of the line of David? The messianic prophecy had to be fulfilled. Joseph was a direct descendant of David, not Mary, correct? And it wasn't realy harped about when Jesus was a kid that God was Jesus' real father. Everyone assumed it was Joseph. Not to say this is the only reason why Mary had to marry Joseph, but that has at least something to do with it, right?

(This is more out of my own curiosity than for the 3rd graders...)

[Resurrexi]

Tony, Mary was of the line of David as well, so I think that the prophecy was fufilled through Her, not through David.

[kateri05]

they both were of the line of David - check the geneologies in LUke and Matthew. they were of the same family, hence why they would have been betrothed in teh first place. tribes inner-married to preserve the tribes.

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='kateri05' post='1121400' date='Nov 15 2006, 11:30 PM']
they both were of the line of David - check the geneologies in LUke and Matthew. they were of the same family, hence why they would have been betrothed in teh first place. tribes inner-married to preserve the tribes.
[/quote]
woh, interesting! i never realized that

[Resurrexi]

[quote]not through David.[/quote]

Oops. Not through Jospeh is what I meant.

[jswranch]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1120703' date='Nov 15 2006, 11:31 AM']
No, I have not lost my mind, it is a question that the 3rd grade CCD class posed to me. I know the answer, but I am having trouble trying to "translate" it for kids to understand. I think also my brain still hurts from trying to explain everything short of the Trinity yesterday to the 3rd graders as well.

I have been doing these Q&A's in the Church bulletin and the teacher of the 3rd grade decided to have them ask me questions. Thankfully, I am almost done. They seem like easy questions, until you sit down and try to answer them.

Anyway, if anyone has any insights or help, I am all ears.

God Bless

Fr. Brian
[/quote]

So Jesus could have a daddy in the house, just like God designed marriage. See LK2:51-52.

[Theologian in Training]

Ok, you guys were very helpful...any insight on the last two?

6) Who built the Church?
7) Why do we have to die?


Found an excellent resource [url="http://www.cathtruth.com/catholicbible/holyfam.htm"]http://www.cathtruth.com/catholicbible/holyfam.htm[/url]

[jswranch]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1129794' date='Nov 28 2006, 11:34 AM']
Ok, you guys were very helpful...any insight on the last two?

6) Who built the Church?
7) Why do we have to die?
[/quote]

6. Jesus founded the church. We are his co-workers in building up the kingdom.

7. We do not actually die. Our bodies die. We live forever. Some folks never experience death and are assumed: Enoch, Elijah, maybe Mary and the folks who will be 'raptured.'

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='jswranch' post='1129931' date='Nov 28 2006, 03:09 PM']
6. Jesus founded the church. We are his co-workers in building up the kingdom.

7. We do not actually die. Our bodies die. We live forever. Some folks never experience death and are assumed: Enoch, Elijah, maybe Mary and the folks who will be 'raptured.'
[/quote]

Yes, but see the way the question is phrased, that is, who "built" the church makes me wonder whether they are talking about the actual structure of the church or the Church founded by Christ.

Your second response is good, however, I really do not feel like getting into the whole idea of "rapture" especially given the ways in which we try to discourage the thinking of rapture the way in which those that are not Catholic believe it to be.

Thanks

[phatcatholic]

[quote name='Theologian in Training' post='1129939' date='Nov 28 2006, 03:21 PM']Yes, but see the way the question is phrased, that is, who "built" the church makes me wonder whether they are talking about the actual structure of the church or the Church founded by Christ. [/quote]
you should just answer it both ways. if by "built" they mean who founded it or created it, than that is Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 16:18 --on this rock i will build my church). if by "built" they mean who put the pieces together or who added to it, then your answer is more multifaceted.

the apostles built the church insofar as they traveled to all the nations setting up churches and passing on true doctrine. the spirit built the church insofar as he preserved her teaching, guided her into all truth, and gave her the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the building of the church. i think you could say Jesus here too. afterall, Heb 3:3-4 says, "Yet Jesus has been counted worthy of as much more glory than Moses as the builder of a house has more honor than the house. (For every house is built by some one, but the builder of all things is God.)"

as for why we have to die, that's a tough question to answer in a way that kids will be able to understand. you could just say that, well, death is just a part of life. as living things, like plants or your puppy, get older they just start to get weaker and less able to do what they used to do, like jump and run and play. but, as human beings, we have hope that, when our body gets so weak that we can't live anymore, our spirit will go on to be with God in heaven. Jesus makes it so that we can be with him even after we die.

i hope that helps

pax christi,
phatcatholic