Our story begins with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Beautiful insights about the childhood of Mary are found in the Gospel of the Birth of Mary and the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew attributed to Saint Matthew. We also examine The Protevangelion of James, My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord by Mark L. Prophet, and dictations from the Bridge to Freedom and the I AM Movement.
Mary was the child of Joachim and Anna, two devout Essenes from the house of David, for whom prayer, fasting, and the sharing of their abundance was a way of life. Having been childless for at least two decades, Joachim was reproached by the high priest in the Jerusalem temple to be judged by God as unworthy to have children. He fasted in the wilderness for forty days, then took refuge midst the shepherds, when an angel of God approached him with a prodigious light. The angel told him that God had heard his prayers and that he would have a daughter, who would appear not as a product of lust but as a gift from God. She would be named Mary. The angel told Joachim that his daughter would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time she was in the womb, and would be devoted to the Lord from her infancy.
Mark Prophet quotes Saint John Damascene in My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord: “O blessed couple, Joachim and Anne! To you is every creature indebted. For through you, every creature has offered to the Creator this gift, the noblest of gifts, namely, that chaste mother who alone was worthy of the Creator. Rejoice Joachim, for from thy daughter a Son is born to us; and his name is called the Angel of great counsel, that is, of the salvation of the whole world....
“O blessed couple, Joachim and Anne! Indeed you are known to be pure by the fruit of your bodies, as Christ said in a certain place: 'By their fruits you shall know them.' You ordered your lives by rule, as was pleasing to God, and worthy of her who was sprung from you. For the chaste and holy exercise of your office, you brought forth the treasure of virginity.”
The angel told Joachim that just as Mary would be born in a miraculous manner from one who was barren, so she would conceive and bring forth the Son of the Most High, while still a virgin, and call his name Jesus. He would be a savior to all nations.
The angel then appeared to Anna and told Anna she would conceive, and that her daughter Mary would be blessed above all women. The angel told Anna that Mary was to be brought to the temple by the age of three to serve God day and night with prayer and fasting, until the age of discretion. The angel told Anna that Mary would bring forth a son without knowing a man, who would become the savior of the world.
At the age of three, Mary was brought to the temple to be among the temple virgins. Her parents placed her upon the first step of the temple. It was said that she ascended the fifteen steps on her own without tuning back. The Gospel of the Birth of Mary states that every day, she had conversations with the angels and received visitors from God, who preserved her from all sorts of evil and caused her to abound with good things. All people who were acquainted with Mary admired her life and conversation. The Protevangelion states that Mary even received food from the hand of an angel and heard their songs.
The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew give us a beautiful description of Mary in the temple. Early church father Jerome, one of the translators of the gospel, writes the following disclaimer: “Whether these stories be true or inventions, the sacred nativity of Saint Mary was preceded by great miracles, and succeeded by the greatest.” Therefore we read, “And Mary was held in admiration by all the people of Israel; and when she was three years old, she walked with a step so mature, she spoke so perfectly, and spent her time so assiduously in the praises of God, that all were astonished at her, and wondered. And she was not reckoned a young infant, but as it were a grown-up person.
“She was so constant in prayer, and her appearance was so beautiful and glorious, that scarcely any one could look into her face. She occupied herself constantly with her wool-work, so that she in her tender years she could do all that old women were not able to do.
“And this was the order that she had set for herself: From the morning to the third hour, she remained in prayer; from the third to the ninth, she was occupied with her weaving; and from the ninth, she again applied herself again to prayer. She did not retire from praying until there appeared to her the angel of the Lord, from whose hand she received food. Thus, she became more and more perfect in the work of God. Then, when the older virgins rested from their praises of God, she did not rest at all. In the praises and vigils of God, none were found before her. No one learned more in the wisdom of the law of God, none more lowly in humility, more elegant in singing, or more perfect in all virtue.
Child Mary in the temple from the personal collection
of Sainte Thérèse of the Child Jesus
“She was indeed steadfast, immovable, unchangeable, and daily advancing to perfection. No one saw her angry, nor heard her speaking evil. All her speech was so full of grace, that her God was acknowledged to be in her tongue. She was always engaged in prayer and in searching the law, and she was anxious lest by any word of hers, she should sin with regard to her companions. Then she was afraid lest in her laughter, or the sound of her beautiful voice, she should commit any fault, or lest, being elated, she should display any wrongdoing or haughtiness. She blessed God without intermission, lest perchance, she might cease from praising God. If any one saluted her, she would answer by way of salutation, 'Thanks be to God.' It was from her that the custom first began of saying, 'Thanks be to God,' when people salute each other.
“She refreshed herself only with the food which she daily received from the hand of the angel. The food which she obtained from the priests, she divided among the poor. The angels of God were often seen speaking with her, and they most diligently obeyed her. If any one who was unwell touched her, the same hour he went home cured.” Whether the description of Mary receiving food, only from the hand of God is accurate, cannot be proven, but does remind me of the story and experience of twentieth-century Saint Therese Neumann in Bavaria, who for decades lived only on the sacred Eucharist. Continuing with the Gospel of the Birth of Mary:
“During Mary's fourteenth year, the temple high priest made a public order—that Mary and the other temple virgins who had come to this age had accomplished their service and were to be sent home to be married. Mary, however, had taken a vow along with her parents, to preserve her virginity in service to the Lord.
“Zacharias, the high priest went to consult God before the Ark of the Covenant, and a voice immediately came forth from the ark. The voice spoke of the prophecy of Isaiah, to whom the virgin should be betrothed. 'For Isaiah saith, there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a flower shall spring out of its root.'”
The high priest called for the men from the house of David who were marriageable, to bring forth their rod—that a flower should bud forth atop, and that the Spirit of the Lord should rest in the appearance of a dove.
Joseph was a man very far advanced in years. For this reason, he withdrew his rod, while the other men presented theirs. As no sign was forthcoming, the high priest consulted God again and was told that one man had not presented his rod. Joseph was sought for and presented his rod. And when he did, the rod flowered and a dove coming from heaven perched upon it, then flew upon the head of Joseph, so that everyone could plainly see that Mary was to be betrothed to him. Joseph acquiesced, and endeavored to protect Mary and her virginity.
The Annunciation by Fra Angelico
Mary returned to Galilee to live in Joseph's house, while Joseph went away to continue his building trade. Mary was called back to the temple by Zacharias to help make a new veil for the temple, and was given the royal purple thread to spin. As she was drawing water, Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and announced to her the conception of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
“Hail, though art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
“Then said Mary unto the angel, 'How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' And the angel answered and said unto her, 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.'
“And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.'” Her response was also the Magnificat.
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth all generations
shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him
from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham,
and to his seed for ever.
And the angel departed from her.
The concept of the virgin birth has been heralded since the birth of Jesus. Nevertheless, the teachings of the ascended masters teach that Mary's spiritual virgin consciousness of divine purity was more important for the conception of Jesus than a physical virginity per se. In a dictation through the Summit Lighthouse, the ascended master Saint Germain tells us that his soul had prepared for many embodiments to sire the Christ consciousness in Jesus. He tells us that as the prophet Samuel, he anointed David, who was a previous incarnation of the soul of Jesus, to prepare him for the spiritual office of the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.
“Oh, it has been a hard, hard generation who have resisted the coming of my Son, Immanuel,” he said. “And so I was chosen to father the Son of God and in so doing to father the Piscean age, as I said, by long preparation beforehand. All the players in that scene of the family and all whom we met and worked with, aye, John the Baptist and great adepts of the East and those with whom we were in contact not recorded–-all those players to the scene, including disciples and the multitudes, descended knowing that they would act out the greatest pageant of all history. And in acting it out, I say to you, beloved, they were counseled and trained to play their role of individual Christ.”
Was the virgin birth, then, a physical virginity or a spiritual virginity, meaning a divine union in holy matrimony, with chakras aligned together through love and spiritual purity? Mary and Joseph were betrothed, and in the Jewish tradition, it was common for couples to have sexual relations after betrothal, and before marriage. Jewish betrothals allowed for sexual relations, as the couple was already considered married. Furthermore, the word “virgin” in Hebrew means “young woman,” and is no indicator of physical virginity.
Sistine Madonna by Raphael
Eastern spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda offers another perspective on the virgin birth of Jesus in the book, The Second Coming of Christ. He compares the birth of Jesus to the birth of Gautama Buddha, who also had a “virgin birth.” He explains that what this means is that Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost cosmic vibration. “This sacred creative vibration,” he states, “suffused with the reflection of God as the Christ Consciousness, entered the ovum in Mary's womb, immaculately creating the germ cell of life into which entered the soul of Jesus, the individualized Christ consciousness. From this pristine cell, according to the pattern inherent in the soul of Jesus, grew the body in which Jesus the Christ was born. It is not a myth. Gautama Buddha, as also other avatars, was born in the same way. His mother saw the Spirit enter her body. As told in traditional Indian allegory in the Jakata ancient Buddhist scripture:
“And lying down on the royal couch, she fell asleep and dreamed the following dream. Four guardian angels came and lifted her up, together with her couch, and took her away to the Himalaya Mountains....After clothing her with divine garments, they anointed her with perfumes and decked her with divine flowers.... Now the Future Buddha had become a superb white elephant and was wandering about at no great distance....Approaching from the north, he plucked a white lotus with his silvery trunk...And three times he walked around his mother's couch, and striking her on the right side, he seemed to enter her womb....Be not anxious, great King! Said the Brahmins; a child has planted itself in the womb of your queen...You will have a son.”
The reason this is important is because for two thousand years, the church sought to make Jesus the exception to human procreation—an “only Son” that no one else could fully emulate, because everyone else had been conceived through sex, which Saint Augustine denounced as the “original sin.” The doctrine of original sin makes Jesus a Christian idol who is an exception to the laws of nature—even though he called us brothers and told us of “Our Father who art in heaven!”
The doctrine of original sin was made popular following the Nicean Council, and has nothing to do with early Christian Essene beliefs. Augustine deeply struggled with his own sexual proclivity and lust for women, as revealed in his most famous—or infamous—prayer: “Lord, give me chastity...but not yet.” This fallacious doctrine of the sins of Eve transferred to all women, mothers and mothers-to-be, is far from divine truth.
Mother Mary, who holds the immaculate concept for all of God's children, told child Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, “I AM the Immaculate Conception.” In a 1958 dictation through Mark Prophet, she explained, “I pray that each one of you whom I love, for I fashioned your hearts, will accept this Christmas the immaculately conceived God-idea concerning your own divine perfection.”
The conception of every child by the love of God—even through normal means—is a miracle, and immaculate in its own right. Modern science has shows that when a sperm penetrates the ovum, a burst of light is released, known as the “zinc spark.” The moment when life begins is both a physical and a spiritual event. We are not conceived in sin, and no birth is a mistake, because God makes no mistakes.
Conception: A Flash of Light
Even so, we also know that with God all things are possible, and that Jesus' life was extraordinary and miraculous. Archaeologist Ron Wyatt claims he discovered the Ark of the Covenant in 1982 buried under Golgotha, the “Place of the Skull,” six hundred years before Jesus was crucified.
Wyatt found blood on the mercy seat of the ark, and sent it to an Israeli lab for DNA testing. Unlike other dry blood that is dead and will not produce a chromosome count, this blood, when reconstituted with saline, was alive and produced chromosomes. Wyatt realized that this was the blood of Jesus, when the spear pierced his side and the earth opened with a great earthquake. What was most remarkable was that this blood produced only 24 chromosomes instead of the normal 46—23 from the mother and 23 from the father. It produced 23 chromosomes from the mother's side and only one Y chromosome from the father's side. The Israeli laboratory that conducted the testing concluded that this singular Y chromosome that determined the body's gender did not originate from a human male. Some people dismissed this research with skepticism or claimed it was fraud. Others found their faith in Christ strengthened by it.
Returning now, to the traditional story of Jesus' birth. The Gospel of the Birthof Mary gives us additional information to contemplate about the virgin birth in the following dialogue recorded between Mary and Gabriel.
Mary asks Gabriel, “How can that be? For seeing I have never known any man, how can I bear a child without the addition of a man's seed?” To this, the angel replied and said, “Think not, Mary, that you shall conceive in the ordinary way. For without lying with a man, while a virgin, you shall conceive; while a virgin, you shall bring forth; and while a virgin, you shall give suck. For the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Most high shall overshadow you, without any of the heats of lust. So that which shall be born of you shall only be holy.”
Mary returned to the temple to bring her purple veil to Zacharias, who blessed her, saying, “Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy name, and thou shalt be blessed in all the ages of the world.” Then she went to visit her cousin Elisabeth, who was six months pregnant with the soul of John the Baptist. Upon hearing of Mary's conception, Elisabeth's babe leaped in the womb.
The Protevangelion states, “Mary, filled with joy, went away to her cousin Elisabeth and knocked at the door. When Elisabeth heard, she ran and opened to her, and blessed her, and said, 'whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? For lo! As soon as the voice of thy salutation reached my ears, that which is in me leaped and blessed thee.'”
The Anunciation from a missal book
colored by Sainte Thérèse of the Child Jesus
The Protevangelion explains that Joseph intended to marry the virgin betrothed to him but had not yet. When he returned from his trade, it was apparent that Mary was with child. Joseph questioned Mary and she insisted that she was innocent and knew no man. He became uneasy, not wanting to defame her with suspicions of having relations with another. Thus he purposed to put an end to their agreement and privately put her away, when an angel appeared to him in his sleep. This is also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, who references Isaiah's prophecy from the Old Testament: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
“Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
Then Joseph was raised from sleep and did as the angel had bidden, and took unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and called his name Jesus. The Protevangelion adds that Joseph arose from his sleep, and glorified the God of Israel, who had shown him such favor and preserved the Virgin.
The apocryphal infancy gospels, together with My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, all relate a story where Mary and Joseph were taken before the high priest regarding her pregnancy. This version is taken from The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.
“There arose a great report that Mary was with child. And Joseph was seized by the officers of the temple, and brought along with Mary to the high priest. And the priests began to reproach him: 'Why hast thou beguiled so great and so glorious a virgin, who was fed like a dove in the temple by the angels of God, who never wished either to see or to have a man, who had the most excellent knowledge of the law of God? If thou hadst not done violence to her, she would still have remained in her virginity.' And Joseph vowed and swore that he never touched her at all. Abiathar, the high priest, answered: 'As the Lord liveth, I will give thee to drink of the water of drinking of the Lord, and immediately thy sin will appear'.
“Then was assembled a multitude of people which could not be numbered, and Mary was brought to the temple. And the priests, and her relatives, and her parents wept, and said to Mary: 'Confess to the priests thy sin, thou that wast like a dove in the temple of God, and didst receive food from the hands of an angel.' And again Joseph was summoned to the altar, and the water of drinking of the Lord was given him to drink. And when anyone that had lied drank this water and walked seven times round the altar, God used to show some sign in his face. When, therefore, Joseph had drunk and walked round the altar seven times, no sign of sin appeared in him. Then all the priests, and the officers, and the people justified him, saying: 'Blessed art thou, seeing that no charge has been found against thee.'
“And they summoned Mary, and said: 'What excuse canst thou have? or what greater sign can appear in thee than the conception of thy womb, which betrays thee? This only we require of thee, that since Joseph is pure regarding thee, thou confess who it is that has beguiled thee. For it is better that thy confession should betray thee, than that the wrath of God should set a mark on thy face, and expose thee in the midst of the people. Then Mary said steadfastly and without trembling: 'O Lord God, King over all, who knowest all secrets, if there be any pollution in me, or any sin, or any evil desires, or unchastity, expose me in the sight of all the people, and make me an example of punishment to all.' Thus saying, she went up to the altar of the Lord boldly, and drank the water of drinking, and walked round the altar seven times, and no spot was found in her.”
Mother Mary gives us additional information about the duress of the time preceding the birth of Jesus in a dictation delivered through the Messenger Elizabeth Clare Prophet. She says, “We were quickened to know the import, the meaning of His birth, the imminence of Immanuel toward which we looked. And the community of the Holy Spirit that gathered at Qumran—this community, blessed hearts, made preparation for many years, waiting upon the Lord with prayers and fasting, understanding the initiations of the Path, the raising up of souls of light in preparedness. It was a most serious undertaking for those who contemplated marriage as a consecration to that one who was promised, the coming of Messiah. And all knew that many would be born with him, the retinue of lightbearers who were to hold the balance in the earth for his ministry.”
The teachings of the ascended masters brought forth through the Bridge to Freedom and the Summit Lighthouse shed more light on Mary's early life and training. In the book, The Masters and their Retreats, we read that Mother Mary is an archeai (a female archangel) and the twin flame, or spiritual counterpart, of Archangel Raphael. The teachings explain that the soul of Mary incarnated twice before her Galilean mission. She took physical incarnation on the lost continent of Atlantis, where she served in the healing temple, tending the flame of healing and precipitation. The book states that, “It was her consciousness and momentum more than any others that sustained the flame in the temple and expanded its influence throughout Atlantis.”
The book, My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord gives us more information. “Serving under the Masters of Truth, Mary, together with other temple virgins, studied the healing arts and submitted to the disciplines required of every soul who desires to magnify the consciousness of the Lord. Working with the laws governing the flow of God's energy from the planes of Spirit to the planes of Matter, she learned that all disease, decay and death are caused by an arresting of the flow of Light at some point in the four lower bodies of man—etheric, mental, emotional and physical—and that this clogging of energy results from the misuse of the Sacred Fire with its attending karma.”
This is why Mother Mary gave students of the ascended masters a modified “Hail Mary” prayer:
Hail Mary, full of grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou among women
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sons and daughters of God
Now and at the hour of our Victory
Over sin, disease and death
“She learned that the cure for disease is the harmonization of the flow through the Light-centers in the four lower bodies, whereas the reversal of the processes of death and decay is effected by the initiation of spirals of the resurrection flame withing the chalice of the heart. Her mentors showed her how, once ignited, these spirals are expanded to include the entire being and consciousness, until man becomes a pulsating sphere of white fire, the victor over hell and death, the Incorruptible One.
“Thus, long ago in the Temple of Truth, where religion and science stood as pillars of Alpha and Omega, Mary experimented with the laws of flow that also govern the science of precipitation. Did she know that in another life he would be chosen to bear the Son of God who would demonstrate those laws in the changing of the water into wine, the healing of the withered hand, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, and many other so-called miracles by which he would introduce to the world the supreme methodology of the Sacred Science?” In the words of the song:
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I AM
Continuing from My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord: “With each life opportunity, Mary developed greater concentration upon the Image Most holy of the Father who appeared to her as the I AM Presence. Her consecration to the immaculate concept of the Son became intensified with each passing day while she perfected her four lower bodies as vehicles for her soul's expression of the Holy Spirit. Her face shone with its inner Light and her garments flowed to the rhythm of the Flame.
“It was her magnification of the Christ Light and of the Mother Flame that actually sustained the healing focus of the Temple of Truth, and it was through daily devotions that its emanations were expanded throughout Atlantis. One with the Cosmic Virgin, she remained a temple virgin during her entire embodiment and left a focus and a flame that shall rise again in the New Atlantis to enshrine the fundamentals of healing mastery in the hearts of those who under the aegis of the law would be the true healers of the race.”
The soul of Mary incarnated again to be the wife of Jesse and to mother eight sons, including the soul of Jesus who incarnated in that life as David—shepherd boy, psalmist and king. Continuing with My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, “The reincarnation of David as Jesus was prophesied by one of the greatest prophets of Israel, who wrote: And there shall come forth a rod, a scepter of authority, out of the stem of Jesse –out of the Son, or the Christ Flame of Jesse—and a Branch, the Christ Consciousness of David shall grow out of his roots –shall evolve out of his communion with the Lord: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.
“David himself knew that he would be born again to perform a mighty work for the Lord. Therefore, he exclaimed, 'My heart is glad and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life; in thy Presence is fullness of joy.'
“David longed for the day when he would see God face to face, prove His laws, and be found in His image. He would not be satisfied with less. Thus he declared, 'As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness.'”
The teachings compiled from the Bridge to Freedom dictations by Werner Shroeder provide more insight into the training Mother Mary received as a young girl in the temple. Mary explains that she never set a table, swept a floor, or planted a flower without the realization that it was the life of God that enabled her to do this task, and she performed it for the glory of God.
These teachings also describe how Mary found happiness in the beautiful company of her twin flame Archangel Raphael during times of quietude, and how she recognized the presence of Archangel Zadkiel over Joseph, confirming that Joseph was the proper and chosen guardian for her. Joseph was a member of the Essene Brotherhood, an advanced spiritual man who had good knowledge of cosmic law. His quiet strength, serenity and dignity helped Mary weather the difficult experiences of life.
