“One cannot therefore speak of the Church unless Mary, Mother of God is present.”
These are the words of the Pope, at the his March 14 general audience at the Vatican.
Pope Benedict stressed the importance of Mary’s presence in the Church, then and now, with a quotation from the third- and-fourth century bishop Saint Chromatius of Aquileia – who declared in a sermon that “one cannot therefore speak of the Church unless Mary, Mother of God is present.”
Jesus’ mother “ was placed by the Lord at the decisive moments of salvation history and has always been able to respond with full availability, the result of a deep relationship with God developed in assiduous and intense prayer,”.
This is what the Pope told the more than 10,000 pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
This Wednesday, he began a new chapter in his series of talks on prayer by focusing on the role of prayer in the early Church, with Mary as its first and greatest disciple.
While Jesus’ disciples often showed their human weaknesses and lack of understanding, Mary modeled a deeper life of contemplation and wisdom, made possible by the Holy Spirit within her.
In this way, the Pope said, she paved the way for the disciples’ reception of the same Spirit at Pentecost.
“If there is no Church without Pentecost, there is no Pentecost without the mother of Jesus,” he said, “because she lived in a unique way, which the Church experiences each day under the action of the Holy Spirit.”
Source: CNA
My comment:
Miriam, the Jewish mother of Jesus the Messiah must have been a wonderful young woman. But like all created beings, she was a sinner that needed to be saved by her Son.
When the Pope speaks about “The Mother of God” he do not speak about Miriam, or whatever name you want to give her in the English language.
“The Mother of God” is the Pagan Queen of Heaven, a goddess who lived in Babylon. From the fall of Babel to this day, pagans have been worshiping her as divine.
The Roman Catholic Church tried to mix this pagan goddess into Christianity, by claiming “Catholic Mary” being the “Mother of God”, and the Queen of Heaven.
Like normal when the Pontiff demands all churches to return to Roman Catholic Marianism, he utters a long list of blasphemies.
Let us take a look at the most obvious blasphemy of the Pope:
Lie number 1:
“Mary” has always been able to respond with full availability, the result of a deep relationship with God developed in assiduous and intense prayer,”
The truth:
Mary can not respond with “full availability”. That is the role of the Messiah. He is omnipresent, and can listen to our prayer. Miriam can not. She is a created being. I am convinced she was saved, and are home in Heaven. She can not listen to all prayers, and she will definitely not entertain anyone who claim she is the pagan goddess of the Roman Catholic Church.
Lie number 2:
…with Mary as its first and greatest disciple.
The Truth:
The Bible do not have a “greatest disciple”. All created beings are equals in the body of the Messiah. There is not a single line in the Bible that gives the Jewish mother of Jesus an elevated post within the group of disciples. Miriam was blessed among women. Not blessed above woman.
Lie number 3:
Mary modeled a deeper life of contemplation and wisdom.
The truth:
This is pure fiction, without any base in the Bible what so ever. The Jewish virgin Miriam has no teaching of her own. She is not mentioned after the second chapter in the book of Acts. No letter from her “deeper life” is recorded in the Bible, nor does any of the gospel writes quote a single line from her “wisdom”.
Lie number 4:
she paved the way for the disciples’ reception of the same Spirit at Pentecost.
The truth:
The Jewish virgin that birthed Jesus has no role to play in the “reception of the Holy Spirit” on the day of Pentecost. This is solely a move by the tribune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Lie number 5:
“there is no Pentecost without the mother of Jesus,”
The truth:
The Pope elevates “Catholic Mary” to the level of God. He could easily have written: “There is no God without the mother of Jesus”. What a blunt paganized and perverted version of the truth. What a damnable heretic fairy tale copy of the Scriptures.
Out of the mouth of the Pope comes blasphemy and lawless talk. God have given you multiple examples for you to renounce this evil. One the day of Judgment you will have no excuse for your support for this “church” with an antichrist as your head.
Written by Ivar
ivarfjeld.com 
Thanks for standing up. I wonder how the Catholic Church will respond to Elijah?
Dear Steven
Shalom.
You wrote:
Thanks for standing up. I wonder how the Catholic Church will respond to Elijah?
My reply:
The pagans killed “Elija”. Jeuss said that Elija back came in the man, John The Baptist. He called many people brood of vipers. Before He baptized them, He demanded faith and fruits of repentance.
A+
Dear Sue
Shalom.
Thanks for blessing med with an A+. May Jesus the Messiah keep you safe from any copy-cat, including false mother’s of “Jesus”. Amen.
Shalom Ivar.
I especially like the exposure of their false words about Mary being the greatest “disciple.” Ironically, the disciples argued about this very thing and were corrected not to do it.
The picture made me slightly nauseated. It is definitely a scene of which an antichrist would approve. No doubt Ratzinger approves, judging by the look on his face. By keeping Jesus as a helpless little baby and the “Queen of Heaven” as the one with authority, it signifies the victory of paganism (and thus Satan) over Jesus. Jesus is the rightful and Righteous King–He ALONE is worthy of all power and authority on earth. He is NOT a baby and Mary is NOT worthy of worship. It is pure and utter blasphemy for a mortal woman to be elevated to the status of godhood. Jesus alone is the Messiah. That is something that the Vatican does not seem to be able to acknowledge–and that makes them antichrist. Satan is very clever in his influence on the Vatican.
Dear Ivar,
Thank you for this excellent article and for exposing how the Vatican is about to pull off the perfect crime. Though the lies of the Ecumenical Movement, Rome will unite Muslims, Jews, and Christians through the “eucharist” and though the cult of “mary”.
What better way to pull off satan’s master plan than to make Catholicism look desirable to the blind and deceived, by pushing the counterfeit “mary” further into the forefront. Portraying “her” as now head of the church instead of Jesus Christ, the deceived religions will have no trouble merging with the Great Harlot. They will view “mary” as a loving, meek and mild presence, the ultimate compassionate “queen mother” and caring “intercessor” approachable to everyone. But little do they realize that this “sinless goddess” who seems as harmless as a flee, is in reality a furious, murderer and lying serpent who seeks after one thing only: to send as many souls to an eternal hell.
When the Vatican moves its headquarters to Jerusalem during the tribulation period, the way will already be paved for the rebuilt combination Jewish Temple, Mosque and Catholic church, and the pope will announce that he is now the leader of the new one-world religion — fulfilling the prophecy of false prophet/ final antichrist.
Thank you, Ivar, for exposing satan’s master plan to us in advance. I pray it opens up blind eyes before it’s too late.
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24:4).
Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!
Read Acts 24:5 & 24:14-18
search on Google images: byzantine crucifix of pisa jesus phallic abdomen porno christ abs penis balls tradition thirteenth century
Search on Google images: jesus penis crucifix phallus san damiano oklahoma charles borromeo catholic church fr. philip seeton porno cross distension scandal
search on Google images for: porta_toza Milan
Jews love you so much & Muslims too
Read the Talmud
Lie #2 The Bible do not have a “greatest disciple”. All created beings are equals in the body of the Messiah.
A simple reading of the Gospels blows this out of the water. Jesus said of St John the Baptist:
Matthew 11:11 (NJB) ‘In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.’ Also, Jesus said to James and John, that seats at his right hand and left are not his to give, but for those reserved by the Father. Now, if we are “all equal” then, I should have equal right to sit at the right of Jesus and my twin brother on the left. I means it’s a democracy up there, hey? It’s equality right?
This is only one of your errors.
You know what? Why am I following this pathetic drivel of a blog?
There is no serious study here, only prejudice.
Dear josephmsc
Shalom.
You wrote:
Now, if we are “all equal” then, I should have equal right to sit at the right of Jesus and my twin brother on the left. I means it’s a democracy up there, hey? It’s equality right?
My reply:
That we are all equals, means we are all sinners who needs to be saved. Jesus is without sin. Only Him. The Pope claim “Catholic Mary” was born without sin, and never sinned. Such a person is not a human, but a divine goddess. Simply fiction, a made up story.
Since I believe in what is written in the Bible, I would not listen to a liar like the Pope.
There is another short circuit in your logic. To be Equals and have “Equal rights” are not the same.
Agreed Ivar, we are all sinners in need of the saving grace of G-d. In that we are entirely equal.
But to answer your question, Josephmsc, Ivar is correct–salvation is a great leveler because we are all sinners in need of that saving grace (and that includes Jesus’ mother Mary too). However, the Bible does teach in many places, that there will be heavenly rewards passed out to believers based on their sincere service to Christ while on earth. It will be an extraordinary privilege to be seated next to Messiah and, as Yeshua noted, that privilege is for only the Father to grant. Make sense? 🙂
Hi Ivarfjeld, you said:
There is not a single line in the Bible that gives the Jewish mother of Jesus an elevated post within the group of disciples.
+++++++++++
You really ought to read the Bible. Revelation 12:1 (NKJV)
“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.”
The woman is pregnant with a male child about to give birth — wonder who that might be [pregnant woman about to give birth to a male child, whom the devil wants to devour]? Nebuchadnezzar’s girlfriend???? Oh, he’s in the Old Testament. Let me try again: how about the pregnant women in the New Testament, Elizabeth perhaps, but she uttered an exalted line about Mary in Luke 1:43 (NKJV)
“But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Wow!! Exaulted indeed: “the mother of my Lord”. Elizabeth is expressing two things here.
1. She recognises the presence of her LORD in womb of Mary
2. She is previleged with a visit by the MOTHER of my Lord.
Maybe you find that a little pedestrian Ivarfjeld, but the Bible doesn’t.
Just before this incident, the woman is described as clothed with the sun [double meaning: pregnant with the ‘son’, and in splendour herself], and standing on the moon and a crown of 12 stars on her head. That surely elevates her quite high off the earth, don’t you think?
Dear josephmsc
Shalom.
You wrote:
You really ought to read the Bible. Revelation 12:1 (NKJV) “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.”
My reply:
There is a common miss-understanding among Catholics, that this woman is the Mother of Jesus. And they claim this to be the ‘Queen of Heaven”. The problem is that this woman is Israel. She birthed the 12 tribes of Jacob, who was renamed Israel. In the Bible the Jewish people and the nations is portrayed as the “Virgin of Zion”. Jerusalem is called the “daughter of Zion”.
If you take a look at Joseph’s dream, you will see that the moon and the sun, and his 11 brothers would come and bow down to him. There is not a single line in the Bible that links this kind of event to the mother of Jesus.
You should also take a look at the “gold and silver, and purple clothing” of “Catholic Mary”. Because there is another woman in the book of Revelation.
Have you read about her?
Who do you think this woman is?
Miriam who birthed Jesus the Messiah must have been an extraordinary woman. But she was a sinner, and blessed among woman. Not blessed above women. Sometimes the lies of the devil is found between the lines. The truth is that Miriam needed to be saved by Her Son. Just like us.
Hi Ivarfjeld,
No Ivartjeld, it is NOT A COMMON misunderstanding among Catholics. If it is, it has been interpreted by Christians from the very first century to the present. They all got it wrong, but only now, you get it right.
Yes, There are Scripture scholars who hold that the Pregnant woman in Rev 12 is Israel. I know them.
By the way, I can ALSO hold the view that the pregnant woman is also ISRAEL, without in any way contradicting the constant interpretation by Christians down the centuries that it is a pretty obvious reference to the Virgin Mary. Ivarnfjelt, don’t do a John Calvin on it, where he does everything except accept the most obvious meaning of the Scriptural text.
Let me ask you a fairly obvious question, if you do hold to pregnant woman as Israel ‘ALONE’ [there’s that blessed evangelical word again], and in NO WAYS refers to the Virgin Mary: how does the Pregnant woman Israel advance the thrust of the Gospel that in the fullness of time God sent his son born of a woman [Gal 4:4]? How do you get out of your Old Testament interpretation and refer this text to Jesus Christ? Or is it stuck with the Old Testament Joseph, who isn’t a woman by the way?
Dear josephmsc
Shalom.
You asked:
if you do hold to pregnant woman as Israel ‘ALONE’ [there’s that blessed evangelical word again], and in NO WAYS refers to the Virgin Mary: how does the Pregnant woman Israel advance the thrust of the Gospel that in the fullness of time God sent his son born of a woman [Gal 4:4]?
My reply:
I believe in the Word of God as it is written. I do not twist it. The World of God is infallible. I do make mistakes. Jesus is always right. I am not.
In regards to Miriam, she was chosen by God. She was a Torah obeying Jewish virgin. She found favor with God, and was blessed among women. She was a sinner who went to the Temple to sacrifice a sin offering for her own sins.
As a Torah obeying Jewess, she is also a part of “virgin Israel”. The Bible says salvation is of the Jews. In plural.
Jesus is the Word that became flesh. God has spoken these words trough a lot of His Jewish prophets.
Josephmsc,
Here is your answer to Revelation 12. Read it and weep. Your error is taking Scripture completely out of context.
Click to access Revelation12Woman.pdf
Satan’s last and greatest manifestation as we rush toward the end of the age is the Roman Catholic blasphemous idol “mary”.
The Roman “mary” is a none other than SATAN himself.
Who else but satan uses illegitimate means to claim the power and authority that is Jesus Christ’s alone? The Bible says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5).
Where is it written anywhere in the Bible that “mary” has any power to save and redeem? Answer: NO WHERE. However the fallen, apostate Roman Catholic church keeps elevating “her” (SATAN’S) status. With each new blasphemous pope, “her” role and power keeps growing in the most unbiblical way.
First “she” was the passive “mother of God”. Then she was said to be immaculately conceived herself. Then she was said to have ascended to heaven without seeing death. Then she became co-redemptrix. Then she was co-mediatrix. Then she was advocate. Then she was called “the gate” that no one could enter heaven without passing through her. Then she was not just merely “engaged with God” but now it is her intercession ALONE that brings eternal salvation. Then pope John Paul II referred to her role in the crucifixion as being one of “co-operated” where he claimed that she was part of Christ’s sacrifice, in union with Him!
Joseph, you are DECEIVED! Can’t you see clearly that all this is satan’s deception, the great usurper, as we get closer to the tribulation period? The devil is growing bolder and without shame using “mary” to trick and deceive not only Catholics but all of the world’s religions in an attempt to take as many to souls to hell with him.
You are bowing and worshiping satan thinking it is some compassionate mother figure and you don’t even know it. No matter how many times someone tries to help you see truth, you mock them and laugh in their face, the same spirit of pride responsible for satan’s fall. This spirit of pride and blindness in you will result in eternal damnation if you don’t repent.
I will pray that you see the truth and that you flee from the RCC before it’s too late.
A little boy went to Heaven and came back and seen Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus.
John the baptist was great because he was a herald of the Messiah. The least of the disciples was greater for seeing the fulfillment of john’s prophecy.
True, Sueliz. John the Baptist was the last of the OT prophets. We are supremely blessed to be part of the Bride of Yeshua. We often fail to appreciate just how wonderful a thing that is.
@Texastig:
Nobody can go to heaven and return, where in the Bible are such events told of? Or, rather, how can you think such events are real and also in tune with biblical doctrine?
I would not be surprised if, taking all such stories together, we could find a lot of descriptions of heaven that would be stating totally different views, and would, thus, not be of any help to know how heaven really is like…
(not comparable to the 4 gospels telling slightly differing details, and still be seen as true…that´s quite another story)
I think it is fairly correct to say “heven visists” are a way of our enemy to fool us, and it may be wise to not pay too much attention to them (the stories)
(I might be wrong)
You can go to haven by being uplifted in the spirit.
Of course, you also can be deceived.
@ M
“we could find lot of descriptions of heaven that would be stating totally different views..”
How often do we see similar descriptions
of what is happening here?!
Google at ‘divine revelations of heaven’
“heaven visits” was my intent to write…
Texastig–even if you accept that the little boy went to heaven and came back–he still claimed that “Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus.” That is a subordinate position. If you believe it, It would indicate that she was submitting to Jesus’ authority (which she did while on earth, by the way. Think about the interaction between them at the Wedding at Cana).
Mary was a normal mortal woman (albeit one who was likely a heart-felt follower of the Law). She was greatly blessed to be the human mother of Jesus. But only Jesus was fully God and fully human. Mary has no spiritual gifts to grant–anymore than do any of the others who surrounded Jesus in His earthly life. All spiritual gifts come from God. Mary is NOT part of the Godhead. God exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All Christians have always accepted this from the beginning. Even official RCC doctrine agrees on that point.
Illusions & paganism
Search on Google images: Dionysus \ Island Delos, you will find your “Paul’s Jewish group of Antioch’s holy family” : Father, Mother, Son & the “Holy Spirit” as a DOVE , this what you do worship
My respects
Those are all lies, marwanyafi. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. The original myth of Dionysus was nothing like the story of Jesus until AFTER Jesus’ advent. Most of mythology has several different versions of each myth in circulation. Pagans often will change their stories if they hear about another religion that sounds more appealing to them. Since their myths are all made up anyway, they are free to reinvent them on a whim. The accounts of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, as found in the Bible, on the other hand, has remained the same for nearly 2000 years now. The reason why I know it is true is that it presents the events in a very realistic way. No attempt was made to “whitewash” anything–it presents the Apostles as conflicted and complex individuals, for example. To a one, every one of them became quite a different person under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. I never saw a myth that was anything like that.
Dear Ellen
I did not say “read” I said “see the images” do not lie. Dionysus is real & was worshiped from 1100 BCE until 400 DC. You may see his picture too. He was in the same time as rabbi Paul in old Greece (Turkey now) I am from Holy Land, I suppose “Jesus” is of my country, he was not English man nor Greek he was A Prophet to lead sons of Israel only…
Read Acts 24:5 & 14-18, you are not the original “Jews of Messiah”, you are just a “heresy sect of Nazarenes” created by Paul’s Jewish group of Antioch.
Advise, do not believe your church neither priests both search for authority & collects, It is enough to know that Paul & his group are Jews to not believe them.
What do you know about “Protocols of elders of Zion” ?
Search again, for your own good, I win nothing, I do not know you, do you really believe in a free “Redeemer, Eternal life, associations with God, Heirs God as He will die” for both criminals & Pious ?
So God is not fair. It is too much to believe. Those false promises were for believers in Pharaoh’s gods as Horus…
Try a comparison between other “Jesus” the 37 crucified Saviors, sungods: Jesus-Horus or Jesus-Krishna… on the net, there is very good studies.
The way & the truth & light of the world… are previously words of Horus not Jesus!
Advise
regards
Nonsense Marwanyafi.
Read & search
If you want the truth
I have read and searched and I have the Truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Satan is the father of lies and he deceives the whole world except for the ones that God the Father attracts to His Son.
marwanyafi: “I did not say ‘read’ I said ‘see the images’ do not lie.”
Ellen: No, marwanyafi, you did say “read & search”. In any case, you have been influenced by a pile of lies. There’s a lot of the same going on everywhere among Satan’s (for the most part) unwitting accomplices.. Satan is drawing up his plans to pull the whole world together into a religion of his making and you have been drawn in through a type of gnosticism.
marwanyafi: “Dionysus is real & was worshiped from 1100 BCE until 400 DC.”
Ellen: Of which Dionysus are you speaking? This one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dionysus ? Or one of at least nine others? In any case, as I said before, the original cult of Dionysus was NOTHING like Jesus of Nazareth. You have been misinformed by the enemies of God.
marwanyafi: “What do you know about “Protocols of elders of Zion ?”
Ellen: I know that they are blood libels meant to defame the Jewish people. They have been proven to be false.
marwanyafi: “So God is not fair. It is too much to believe. Those false promises were for believers in Pharaoh’s gods as Horus…”
Ellen: God is infinitely fair and just. In the end, NO ONE will be able to say that God is unjust. He is just AND He is merciful. His justice was served by the death of the Messiah, Jesus, whose atonement is infinite because He is God in human flesh. His mercy is seen through the grace that is granted to we who believe that Jesus, out of His great love for us, died to pay the penalty for our sins. Justice and mercy meet at the Cross of the Messiah. He loves you too, marwanyafi–and so do I. I will pray for you, that you find the only One who can save you from dying in your sin and the hell that will follow. Only the Lord Jesus can bring you the peace that your soul craves.
You are so naif.
God need not to die to save us. He may say so & it is.
Search for: World Sixteen crucified saviors Author: Kresney Graves.
The searcher found 37 crucified redeemers as Jesus. It is SATAN who discovers every thing. I know !
Read:Protocols of elders of Zion. Be serious
Marwan
Marwan, you need to remember that Satan is the father of lies and he would do anything–and has–to keep people from reading the Bible for themselves. It is there you will find the answers for your life.
You are so young I am sure.
If you want to say “Satan keep us off the Bible” If so, why the Bible.
Read the Bible, but of my choice: Secret gospel of Marc…Is Jesus gay ? Why church abolished the two texts of “this Gospel” at less”?
Or Song of songs, & tell me what sexual words of your god are? Is it words of a God?
Read the “Protocols of Elders of Zion”?!
All Paul’s Jewish group of Antioch were of “Zion”, to know what they have done to Prophet Yesaus = Jesus CALL – Messiahs. Read Acts 24:5 & 24:14-18
If God did not needed to die, he could not show resurrection from the dead.
Hi marwanyafi,
Here’s another webpage that you might find useful. The author of the article examines the charge from atheists (and others) that Jesus’ life parallels that of pagan “gods”. The author first examines the “Jesus as Horus” comparison. The comparison is laughable if the consequences were not so severe for those who buy the lies. http://www.kingdavid8.com/_full_article.php?id=fe54916c-64bc-11e1-8f66-6067e33f8f11
Here is a Wikipedia article on Horus. If you actually read it and know anything about the Jesus of the Bible, you will immediately see that the comparison is ridiculous. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus
May God bless you as you search for the Truth.
Who saw Him?
None
Search in your 4 Gospels the same “text”, prove it?
Compare it?
Before sunrise or after sunrise?
Why there is no same exact time? is He sungod?
Sol invictus?
Sol or Saul – Pol or Paul? Or Apollo or Apollon or Apollonius ?
You too! PLEASE do read the Protocols to understand Jews& their goal against the whole world.
Marwan, you are trying our patience. The fact that the four gospels do not agree in every last tiny detail points to them being authentic accounts. One way that police detectives know that the testimony of two material witnesses is false is if they are identical down to the last small detail. It indicates that they have conspired and fabricated a story together for the purpose of hiding the true story. True testimony of two witnesses typically does NOT agree in every last small detail as we all filter events through our own personal grid that interacts with the world. Those who penned the gospels were not engaging in robotic automatic writing. They were INSPIRED by the Holy Spirit but they were vessels of clay who, in striving to present the events in the most cogent fashion, made personal recollections and choices. THE gospel writers were NOT God in human flesh If they were, they would have been able to relate the events perfectly down to the last detail. But they presented the truth of extraordinary events–the proof of which is that they were willing to die martyrs’ deaths, rather than deny what they knew to be true.
I already told you that the Protocols have been judged by many scholars to be fakes. Why do you keep pestering us with them? The Quran approves of Jews and Christians as “people of the Book”–why do you insult them? Muslims even accept Jesus as a prophet. If you think He was a prophet–why do you not believe Him? He said He was the Messiah which was always predicted, from ancient times, to be God in human flesh. Just as Antichrist will be Satan in human flesh. Satan always has his counterfeits of everything God does. You need to decide whose side you will be on. Your eternal destiny depends on it. I am still praying for you.
Dear Ellen and all readers.
I have spammed marwanyafi for Jew-hate. Pointless to debate with mockers.
Marwanyafi,
I have about had it with your Jew hate and your lies. You are not here for any real discussion. You are here to defame Jesus and spread falsehoods and lies. If you do not show any change of this goal, your next message will be spammed.
By the way, I looked up the book, Marwan. Even atheists deem it a total joke and a non-scholarly work. It has horrible reviews and called a myth. Thanks for the name.
Not sure Josephmsc is still coming around anymore, but here is the answer to who the Woman of Revelation 12 is AS SEEN BY THE EARLY CHURCH (definitely NOT Mary!):
“Of course it was not difficult for those early Jewish Christians in the early church to see themselves as the Woman of Revelation 12. At that time in holy history the church was predominantly a Hebrew company. Throughout the Old Testament Israel was likened to a woman, the one betrothed to YHVH the God of Israel. But as the Gospel went out to the gentiles/nations/heathen and the centuries rolled on the church took on a more gentile character. So identifying the woman of Revelation 12 as the ‘ekklesia’, the ‘congregation of God’ or the ‘saints’ in both national Israel and in the church became increasingly difficult. Even before the Council of Nicaea the church was losing its identity in Israel. But at Nicaea it started to become as much a pagan company as it was the (Gr. ekklesia), the ‘called out assembly’, the ‘congregation’ or ‘church’ of God in Israel.”
Here is the rest of the article: http://endtimepilgrim.org/dragon.htm