A short bliography on Mary, Mother of Jesus. Florence Nightingale, and Irena Sendler (Jewish Holocaust hero) and their displays of holiness. Alos includes a compare and contrast of the three women
Virgin Mary
Mary is an important figure in catholic faith, Mother of Jesus Christ in physical body, she is also the spiritual Mother of the Church, the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council gave this title to her.
We know little biographical information about Mary, our greatest source would be the books of Matthew, Mark, John and Luke. From these spiritual accounts - and knowledge of the everyday circumstances she would have faced - comes a picture of the Mary the shepherds would have found in Bethlehem: a woman who was young, devout, offended by injustice, devoted to her child, and, many believe, sorrowful in the knowledge of what his fate would be. Mary was bethroed to Joseph when the angel Gabriel appears to her and says she is to bear the son of God, she asks, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" She is told that nothing is impossible with God. Mary's consent and willingness to endure social injustice for God is an holy act in itself, as women suspected of adultery were often stoned to death. Throughout her life she seen as very holy and is believed to be the Immaculate Conception i.e. born without any sin. Although Mary herself is holy as well as all her acts, the most courageous act she did was watching her son die on the cross. Mary endured the pain because she was a good piteous woman devoted to God, she knew Jesus' death was inevitable.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was born in May 12th 1820. She was an aristocrat born to wealthy British parents. At 16 Florence thought she heard the voice of God telling her that she had a special mission in life. Florence suspected it had something to do with nursing because as a young child she had always enjoyed caring for the sick. Traditionally she was meant to behave like a 'upper class lady', but Florence was reculant to do so, having found her passions elsewhere. She turned down suitors and social parties to instead take up studying health and medicine. As she was a woman of the upper class, this
Mary is an important figure in catholic faith, Mother of Jesus Christ in physical body, she is also the spiritual Mother of the Church, the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council gave this title to her.
We know little biographical information about Mary, our greatest source would be the books of Matthew, Mark, John and Luke. From these spiritual accounts - and knowledge of the everyday circumstances she would have faced - comes a picture of the Mary the shepherds would have found in Bethlehem: a woman who was young, devout, offended by injustice, devoted to her child, and, many believe, sorrowful in the knowledge of what his fate would be. Mary was bethroed to Joseph when the angel Gabriel appears to her and says she is to bear the son of God, she asks, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" She is told that nothing is impossible with God. Mary's consent and willingness to endure social injustice for God is an holy act in itself, as women suspected of adultery were often stoned to death. Throughout her life she seen as very holy and is believed to be the Immaculate Conception i.e. born without any sin. Although Mary herself is holy as well as all her acts, the most courageous act she did was watching her son die on the cross. Mary endured the pain because she was a good piteous woman devoted to God, she knew Jesus' death was inevitable.
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale was born in May 12th 1820. She was an aristocrat born to wealthy British parents. At 16 Florence thought she heard the voice of God telling her that she had a special mission in life. Florence suspected it had something to do with nursing because as a young child she had always enjoyed caring for the sick. Traditionally she was meant to behave like a 'upper class lady', but Florence was reculant to do so, having found her passions elsewhere. She turned down suitors and social parties to instead take up studying health and medicine. As she was a woman of the upper class, this