Miracles of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In this paper, we will be discussing the book Miracles of the Blessed Virgin Mary, written by Johannes Herolt between 1435-1440, and translated by C.C Swinton Bland. The book is a collection of miracles performed by, or relating to, the Virgin Mary. In the Christian tradition, the Virgin Mary holds a high place among the saints. She is said to have conceived the child Jesus as a virgin, and to be the only woman ever born without Original Sin. Throughout the history of Christianity she has been said to have appeared to people in numerous apparitions, and interceded for mankind through various miracles and signs. This book tells of medieval appearances and miracles made by the Blessed Virgin, to saints and sinners alike. Throughout Miracles, the various accounts of the Virgin Mary allow for historians to examine many topics about Christianity. In this paper, we will be discussing the idea that these miracles were used to instruct individuals about living a Christian life, following the doctrines, and understanding the New Testament. Teaching these principles has been the ongoing mission of Christianity for two thousand years, and making these principles understood has taken on various forms of representation. In Miracles of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see how stories of the Blessed Virgin and her miracles worked to promote the understanding and adherences to Christian doctrine and reiterate the teachings of the New Testament. An element of Christian doctrine that comes up frequently throughout the text are the sacraments. In Christianity, the sacraments are ceremonies that provide divine grace to their practitioner, and must be observed in order to attain salvation. For example, on page 47, a story of a servant who was dying is commanded by the Blessed Virgin to receive the last rites: “The Virgin said: ‘Get a priest to come to you-repent and confess your sins; take the sacrament of the Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ, my Son, and the other sacraments of the