kids encyclopedia robot

Mary (mother of Jesus) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Madonna del Parto, Taddeo Gaddi, Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola (Firenze)
The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, by Taddeo Gaddi in the 14th century

In many religions like Christianity and Islam, Mary was the mother of Jesus. Her story is mainly found in the New Testament part of the Bible. She is a very important figure for billions of people around the world.

Mary's Story in the Bible

Most Christian beliefs about Mary come from the Bible. The books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible tell us that Mary was a young woman. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph.

The Angel's Visit

The Gospel of Luke says that an angel named Gabriel visited Mary. The angel told her she would have a son. He said she should name her son Jesus. The angel also told Mary that Jesus would save people from their sins (wrongdoings).

Mary was surprised because she was a virgin and not yet married. She asked the angel how she could become pregnant. The angel explained that God would make her pregnant through a miracle. This meant the Holy Spirit would come upon her.

The angel said to Mary: "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You will have a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Mary then said, "I am the Lord's servant. Let everything you have said happen to me." After this, the angel left her.

Joseph's Dream

According to the laws of the time, Joseph could have publicly divorced Mary. But he chose not to. In a dream, an angel told Joseph that Mary's pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit. So, Joseph decided to marry Mary.

Birth of Jesus

Around that time, the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, made a law. Everyone in the Roman Empire had to go back to their family's hometown to be counted for a tax. Joseph's family came from Bethlehem, also known as The City of David.

So, Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem. While they were there, Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. They had to stay in an animal shed because they could not find any other room.

Mary at the Crucifixion

About thirty-three years later, Jesus was killed by crucifixion. Many of Jesus' followers were scared and ran away. But Mary stayed by the cross with Jesus as he died.

As Jesus was dying, he asked his young follower John to take care of Mary as if she were his own mother. He said, "Woman, this is your son," and to John, "This is your mother."

The Resurrection

On the third day after Jesus' death, Mary and other women went to Jesus' tomb. They found that the large stone covering the tomb had been rolled away. Jesus' body was gone. An angel told the women that Jesus had risen and was alive.

Mary continued to meet with the early church after Jesus went up to Heaven (Ascension). This is mentioned in the book of Acts (1:14).

Mary in Islam

Main article: Mary in Islam

Mary is also highly respected in Islam. The Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, says that she was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. Muslims honor Jesus as a great prophet.

How Mary is Honored

Mary is deeply honored in the Christian faith. She is especially called "the Mother of God" in the Roman Catholic Church. She is also called "Theotokos" in the Eastern Orthodox Church. This Greek word means "the one who gave birth to God." Christians believe Jesus is both fully God and fully human.

Worship vs. Veneration

Christians do not worship Mary. They believe that only God should be worshipped. However, many Christians, especially Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, venerate her. This means they pray to her and respect her. They admire her willingness to accept God's plan by giving birth to Jesus.

Feast Days and Art

Mary is often called "the Blessed Virgin Mary" by Roman Catholics. There are many special days, called feast days, that honor her. For example, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin on September 8 remembers her birth. Catholics also celebrate the Immaculate Conception and Mary as Queen of Heaven on August 22.

Christian art often shows the Virgin Mary. Many paintings show Mary holding the baby Jesus. These famous artworks are known as Madonna and Child pictures.

The Hail Mary Prayer

Many people who pray to Mary use a prayer called the Hail Mary. The first part of the prayer honors Mary. It says: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." The second part of the prayer asks for Mary's help: "Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our deaths. Amen."

Protestants generally believe Roman Catholics give Mary too much honor. Orthodox Christians have a view that is somewhere in the middle.

Related pages

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: María (madre de Jesús) para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Mary (mother of Jesus) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.