Saintes Marie de Cléophas
et Salomé
Les premières à entendre
l'annonce de la résurrection. (Ier siècle)
À Jérusalem, commémoraison des saintes femmes Marie de Cléophas et Salomé, qui, avec Marie-Madeleine, vinrent de grand matin au tombeau du Seigneur, pour embaumer son corps, et entendirent les premières l'annonce de sa résurrection.
Marie, femme de Cléophas (ou Clophas), proche parente de la Vierge Marie, près de laquelle elle se trouvait au pied de la Croix de Jésus. Elle est témoin de la Résurrection. Elle serait la mère de l'apôtre Saint Jude et des deux premiers évêques de Jérusalem: l'apôtre Saint Jacques le Mineur et Saint Syméon martyr.
Elle accompagna le Christ jusqu'au calvaire, se rendit au tombeau le matin de Pâques, puis revint annoncer aux apôtres incrédules la Résurrection du Seigneur. "...près de la croix de Jésus se tenait sa mère, avec la sœur de sa mère, Marie femme de Cléophas, et Marie Madeleine." (Jean 19, 25)
Dans l'église Notre Dame la Grande de Poitiers, on peut admirer le groupe en bois polychrome, adossé au premier pilier du collatéral nord, dit la Sainte Parenté (XVIe siècle), sainte Anne, la Vierge, Marie Cléophas, Marie Salomé, l'Enfant Jésus, les fils des deux Marie Cleophas et Salomé.
A Nevers, dans la cathédrale Saint Cyr et Sainte Julitte, mise au tombeau en pierre polychrome, datant de la fin du XVe siècle, les personnages sont représentés grandeur nature: La Vierge, saint Jean, Marie-Salomé et Marie-Cléophas, portant chacune un pot à parfums, Marie-Madeleine, Nicodème et Joseph d'Arimathie. (diocèse de Nevers)
Le culte des Saintes Maries Jacobé et Salomé est confirmé, en Provence, entre autres témoignages, par le concours de nombreux fidèles en l'église des Saintes Maries de la Mer, où des grâces abondantes ont été obtenues par leur patronage.
Elles furent parmi les femmes qui accompagnaient Jésus au cours de sa vie apostolique et lui venaient en aide par leurs biens matériels.
Marie
Jacobé était mère de Jacques
le Mineur, de José et peut-être de Simon le Zélote et de Jude.
Salomé était
mère de Jean et
de Jacques
le Majeur.
Fidèles, avec Marie et Marie-Madeleine, au temps de la Passion, elles vinrent
au sépulcre, le matin de Pâques, où un ange leur déclara que Jésus est vivant.
Elles furent ainsi les premiers témoins de la Résurrection. (source: Les Saints du diocèse de Nîmes)
Martyrologe romain
Sainte Marie Cléophas
Sœur de la Vierge Marie
et mère de Saint-Jacques le Mineur. Elle aurait assisté à la crucifixion et
aurait été présente sur la tombe du Christ au matin de Pâques (Ier siècle)
Selon une légende, elle se serait rendue en France, où elle serait morte à Ciudad
Rodrigo ; selon une autre, elle aurait accompagné Lazare, Marie-Madeleine et
Marthe en Provence. Aucune de ces deux légendes n'est malheureusement digne de
foi.
On lit au début du
Martyrologe Romain de ce jour :
En Judée, sainte Marie,
femme de Cléophas, que le bienheureux Évangéliste Jean appelle la sœur
[cousine] de la très Sainte Vierge Marie, Mère de Dieu, et qui, d’après son
récit, se tint à ses côtés au pied de la Croix de Jésus.
À Jérusalem,
commémoraison des saintes femmes Marie de Cléophas et Salomé, qui, avec
Marie-Madeleine, vinrent de grand matin au tombeau du Seigneur, pour embaumer
son corps, et entendirent les premières l’annonce de sa résurrection. (Martyrologe
romain - 24 avril)
Marie, femme de Cléophas
(ou Clophas), proche parente de la Vierge Marie, près de laquelle elle se
trouvait au pied de la Croix de Jésus. Elle est témoin de la Résurrection. Elle
serait la mère de l’apôtre Saint Jude et des deux premiers évêques de Jérusalem
: l’apôtre Saint Jacques le Mineur et Saint Siméon martyr.
Elle accompagna le Christ
jusqu'au calvaire, se rendit au tombeau le matin de Pâques, puis revint
annoncer aux apôtres incrédules la Résurrection du Seigneur. "...près de
la croix de Jésus se tenait sa mère, avec la soeur de sa mère, Marie femme de
Cléophas, et Marie Madeleine." (Jean 19, 25)
http://www.aelf.org/bible-liturgie/Jn/Evangile-de-Jeesus-Christ-selon-saint-Jean/chapitre/19
Dans l'église Notre Dame
la Grande de Poitiers, on peut admirer le groupe en bois polychrome, adossé au
premier pilier du collatéral nord, dit la Sainte Parenté (XVIème siècle),
sainte Anne, la Vierge, Marie Cléophas, Marie Salomé, l’Enfant Jésus, les fils
des deux Marie Cleophas et Salomé.(source: diocèse de Poitiers)
http://www.diocese-poitiers.com.fr/patrimoine/poitiers-notredame.html
SOURCE : http://jubilatedeo.centerblog.net/6573148-Les-saints-du-jour-vendredi-24-Avril
.jpg)
Sainte
Marie de Cléophas, Église Saint André de la Zirada à Venise. Côté droit, deuxième autel
Marie de Cléophas
1er siècle
Il n’est pas facile de
situer les rapports familiaux de ces saintes femmes dont parle l’Évangile.
Quand il est question
de Marie de Cléophas (Clopas), on peut aussi bien interpréter
l’expression comme «fille de» ou «femme de» Cléophas.
Il n’est pas interdit,
quoique avec toutes les réserves qu’impose une révélation privée, de lire ce
que disent à ce propos soit la bienheureuse Anna Katharina Emmerick, soit Maria
Valtorta. Toutefois, on ne prendra pas rigoureusement à la lettre ce qu’elles
auront essayé de transcrire de leurs visions, puisque la faiblesse humaine est
toujours là pour conduire à l’erreur les meilleures intentions.
Concernant Marie de
Cléophas, il semblerait donc que cette femme fût la fille de Cléophas, lui-même
neveu de saint Joseph. (1) Or, cette Marie épousa Alphée, dont elle eut
les trois futurs apôtres Jude Thaddée, Simon le Zélote et Jacques le Mineur.
Cette Marie (fille) de Cléophas est donc la même que Marie (femme) d’Alphée.
Veuve une première fois,
Marie épousa ensuite Saba ; veuve une troisième fois, elle épousa Jonas. De
Saba, elle eut José (Joseph) et Barsabas ; de Jonas, elle eut Siméon le Juste.
Ce dernier est donné dans l’évangile comme fils de Marie (cf. Mt 13:55) ; Il
succéda à saint Jacques le Majeur comme évêque à Jérusalem et fut martyrisé à
cent-vingt ans, vers 104. Cette situation familiale explique que l’on parle des
«frères de Jésus» dans le passage cité.
Que sait-on de Marie de
Cléophas, d’après l’Évangile ? Elle n’est pas toujours nommée explicitement
parmi les «saintes femmes», mais on la trouve au pied de la croix, auprès de la
mère de Jésus. Elle reste là après la mort du Sauveur, elle assiste à la
sépulture. Le lendemain du sabbat, elle est de celles qui se rendent au
sépulcre et voient le Christ ressuscité (Mt 27:61 et 28:9).
La Tradition (Anna
Katharina Emmerick en parle aussi) rapporte que Marie de Cléophas aurait été
abandonnée sur une barque sans voile, avec Lazare et Madeleine, et aurait
accosté miraculeusement sur la côte de Provence, où elle serait morte.
Quant à Salomé, c’était
une cousine de Marie, la mère de Jésus. Ayant épousé Zébédée, elle était la
mère des futurs apôtres Jacques (le Majeur) et Jean. On la rencontre dans
l’évangile de Matthieu (20:10) et de Marc (15:40 ; 16:1). En Matthieu, elle
demande à Jésus une faveur un peu présomptueuse pour ses garçons, en Marc on la
voit aux côté de Marie de Cléophas, au Calvaire et au Sépulcre.
L’actuel Martyrologe
mentionne ensemble au 24 avril ces deux femmes, si proches de Jésus, les
premières auxquelles se présenta le Ressuscité.
1 Ce Cléophas serait
lui-même l’oncle d’un autre Cléophas, l’un des deux pèlerins d’Emmaüs (cf. Lc
24:18)
SOURCE : http://www.samuelephrem.eu/page/385
Occurrences néotestamentaires
• Mt 27,56 : « Parmi (les femmes) qui étaient au pied de la croix, il y avait
Marie de Magdala, Marie, mère de Jacques et de Joseph, et la mère des fils de
Zébédée. »
• Mt 28,1 : « … Marie de Magdala et l’autre Marie vinrent visiter le sépulcre.»
• Mc 15,40 : « Il y avait aussi des femmes qui regardaient à distance, parmi
elles Marie de Magdala, et Marie, mère de Jacques le petit et de Joset, et
Salomé… »
• Mc 15,47 : « Or Marie de Magdala, et Marie, mère de Joset regardaient où on
l’avait mis.»
• Mc 16,1 : « Lorsque le sabbat fut passé, Marie de Magdala, Marie, mère de
Jacques, et Salomé, achetèrent des aromates, afin d'aller embaumer Jésus. »
• Jn 19,25 : « Près de la croix se tenaient sa mère, la sœur de sa mère, Marie,
femme de Clopas, et Marie de Magdala. »
• Lc 24,10 : « Celles qui dirent ces choses aux apôtres étaient Marie de
Magdala, Jeanne, Marie, mère de Jacques, et les autres qui étaient avec elles.
»
SOURCE : http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Jacob%C3%A9
Domenico Ghirlandaio, Visitazione (part. Santa Maria di Cleofa), 1491, tempera su tavola
Also
known as
Mary of Clopas
9 April (Armenian
calendar; Catholic prior to 2001)
23 May (Orthodox
calendar)
3 August (Lutheran
Church – Missouri Synod calendar)
Profile
Mother of Saint James
the Lesser. Sister of Our Lady.
Present at the Crucifixion,
and went to Christ’s tomb on Easter morning.
All else that we know about her is legend.
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
images
webové
stránky v ceštine
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Saint Mary of
Cleophas“. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 April 2024. Web. 23 February 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-mary-of-cleophas/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-mary-of-cleophas/
Sainte
Anne et les trois Marie, Heures d'Étienne Chevalier, enluminées par Jean
Fouquet. Paris, BnF, département des Manuscrits, NAL 1416. D'après la Légende
dorée, sainte Anne eut trois époux, Joachim, Cléophas et Salomé, avec lesquels
elle eut respectivement la Vierge, Marie, épouse d'Alphée, et Marie, épouse de
Zébédée. À l'angle d'un jardin urbain, devant un treillis garni de rosiers,
sainte Anne se tient parmi ses trois filles accompagnées de leurs enfants. La
Vierge, portant Jésus dans ses bras, se détache sur la perspective verdoyante
d'une tonnelle, où saint Joseph apparaît au fond à gauche.
Book of Saints – Mary
Cleophas
(Saint)
(April
9) (1st
century) One of the “Three Marys” who followed Our Lord from Galilee and
who stood at the Foot of the Cross on Calvary. She was the wife of Cleophas or
Alpheus (John 19:25), and the mother of the Apostle Saint James the Less. Some
think that she was a sister of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom she was
certainly very nearly related. There are certain legends purporting to give an
account of her after-life; but they are not sufficiently well-grounded to be of
use.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate. “Mary
Cleophas”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
29 November 2014. Web. 23 February 2025.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-mary-cleophas/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-mary-cleophas/
Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400–1464),
The Deposition (detail, Mary of Clopas) / Descent from the Cross / Crucifixion of Jesus, circa 1435, oil on oak wood, 204.5 x 261.5,
Museo del Prado
Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400–1464),
The Deposition / Descent from the Cross / Crucifixion of Jesus, circa 1435, oil on oak wood, 204.5 x 261.5,
Museo del Prado
St. Mary of Clophas
Historically today is the
feast of St. Mary of Clophas, Mother of St. James the Less and Joseph, wife of
Cleophas (or Clopas or Alpheus). She was one of the "Three Marys" who
served Jesus and was present at the Crucifixion , and accompanied Mary Magdalen
to the tomb of Christ. Tradition reports that she went to Spain as a
missionary. Mary reportedly died at Ciudad Rodrigo. Another tradition states
that she went to France with St. Lazarus and his sisters.
SOURCE : https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2014-04-09
Collégiale
Saint-Vincent. Soignies. Hainaut. Belgium. Parish church (Collégiale
Saint-Vincent). Interior. Burial of Jesus. 1440-1460. Mise au tombeau (v.
1440-1460), détail, personnage: Marie Cléophas. Ref: PM_129671_B_Soignies.
Cultural heritage; Cultural heritage|Techniques|Sculpture; Europe|Belgium;
Europe|Belgium|Hainaut; Europe|Belgium|Hainaut|Soignies. Photo: Paul M.R.
Maeyaert. www.polmayer.com. © Paul M.R. Maeyaert; pmrmaeyaert@gmail.com
St. Mary Clopas
April 24
Death: 1st century
Mother of St. James the Less
and Joseph, wife of Cleophas. She was one of the “Three Marys” who served Jesus and was present at
the Crucifixion , and accompanied Mary Magdalen
to the tomb of
Christ. Tradition reports that she went to Spain as
a missionary. Mary reportedly
died at Ciudad Rodrigo. Another tradition states that she went to France with
St. Lazarus and
his sisters.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4956
_(Di%C3%B6zesanmuseum_Rottenburg)-WUS07620.jpg)
Circle
of Bernhard Strigel (1460–1528), Maria
Klopas und ihre Söhne, circa 1520, on panel and
on softwood,
99.5 x 59, Museum
of the Diocese of Rottenburg
St. Mary Cleophas
Very little is known
about St. Mary Cleophas. She was one of the “three Marys” who followed Our
Lord and stood at the foot of the Cross on Calvary and who went to the tomb.
She was the wife of Saint Cleophas, the brother of Saint Joseph, and the mother
of Saint James the Less.
According to legend,
Saint Mary of Cleophas was put on a boat with others by the Jews in the year
47, and pushed out to sea without sails or oars. She died in France. The island
in France where she landed, after her miraculous journey from Jerusalem, is
called les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (”the Holy Marys of the Sea”), named for
Saint Mary of Cleophas, Saint Mary Magdalen and Saint Mary Salome.
SOURCE : http://www.ucatholic.com/saints/saint-mary-cleophas/
.jpg)
Hans von Kulmbach (1480–1522), Maria Cleophasa, Alphäus und ihre vier Kinder /Mary Cleophas and her family, 1513, 54 x 28, Collection Goudstikker heirs, Dienst Verspreide Rijkscollecties, Hermann Göring Collection, Stichting Nederlands Kunstbezit, Jacques Goudstikker collection
Hans von Kulmbach (1480–1522), Maria
Salome-Zebedäus und ihre Söhne / Mary Salome and her family, 1513, 54 x 28
; Maria Cleophasa, Alphäus und ihre vier Kinder /Mary Cleophas and her
family, 1513, 54 x 28, Collection Goudstikker heirs, Dienst
Verspreide Rijkscollecties, Hermann Göring Collection, Stichting
Nederlands Kunstbezit, Jacques Goudstikker collection
Mary of Cleophas, Matron (RM)
(also known as Mary of Alpheus or Clopas)
1st century. Mary of Cleophas, the 'other Mary,' followed our Lord to Calvary
(Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25) and saw Him after His Resurrection (Mark
16:1; Luke 24:10). She was the mother of James the Younger, Joseph (Matt.
27:56; Mark 15:40), Simon, and Jude; wife of Cleophas (John 19:25); and sister
of the Blessed Virgin (John 19:25). Later legend says that Mary went to Spain,
where she died at Ciudad Rodrigo. Another legend had her accompanying Lazarus,
Mary Magdalene, and Martha to Provence. Both these stories are unreliable
(Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Gill).
Mary Cleophas is normally portrayed with all four of her children. Occasionally
the sons carry the following emblems: Jude, a boat; Simeon, a fish; James, a
palm branch or a mill (probably a fuller's mill); and Joseph Barsabas, three
leaves or a cup. Mary Cleophas may also be portrayed with Mary Salome who
together support the Virgin during the Crucifixion or are present with Mary
Magdalene at the Resurrection (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0409.shtml
Adriaen van Overbeke, Maria Cleophas mit
ihren Söhnen und einer Dienerin / Mary of Clopas with children, circa
1510, 107.4 x 45.4, Germanisches Nationalmuseum
Mary of Cleophas
This title occurs only
in John
19:25. A comparison of the lists of those who stood at the foot of
the cross would seem to identify her with Mary, the mother of James the
Less and Joseph (Mark
15:40; cf. Matthew
27:56). Some have indeed tried to identify her with the Salome of Mark
15:40, but St.
John's reticence concerning himself and his relatives seems conclusive
against this (cf. John
21:2). In the narratives of the Resurrection she
is named "Mary of James"; (Mark
16:1; Luke
24:10) and "the other Mary" (Matthew
27:61; 28:1).
The title of "Mary of James" is obscure. If it stood alone, we should
feel inclined to render it "wife of (or sister of) James", but
the recurrence of the expression "Mary the mother
of James and Joseph" compels us to render it in the same way when
we only read "Mary of James". Her relationship to
the Blessed Virgin is obscure. James is termed "of
Alpheus", i.e. presumably "son of Alpheus". St.
Jerome would identify this Alpheus with Cleophas who,
according to Hegesippus, was brother to St. Joseph (Hist. eccl.,
III, xi). In this case Mary of Cleophas, or Alpheus, would be the
sister-in-law of the Blessed Virgin, and the term
"sister", adelphe, in John
19:25, would cover this. But there are grave difficulties in the way of
this identification of Alpheus and Cleophas. In the first place, St.
Luke, who speaks of Cleophas(24:18),
also speaks of Alpheus (6:15; Acts
1:13). We may question whether he would have been guilty of such a confused
use of names, had they both referred to the same person.
Again, while Alphas is the equivalent of the Aramaic, it is not easy to
see how the Greek form of this became Cleophas, or more
correctly Clopas. More probably it is a shortened form of Cleopatros.
Pope, Hugh. "Mary of Cleophas." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 20 Apr.
2015 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09748b.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Joseph P. Thomas. Dedicated to
Mary Thomas.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2023 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09748b.htm
C.J.W.
Winter, St Mary of Cleophas, 1867, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.fl2yep&seq=60
Fragment X
(1.) Mary the mother of the Lord; (2.) Mary
the wife of Cleophas or Alphæus, who was the mother of James the bishop and
apostle, and of Simon and Thaddeus, and of one Joseph; (3.) Mary Salome, wife
of Zebedee, mother of John the evangelist and James; (4.) Mary Magdalene. These
four are found in the Gospel. James and Judas and Joseph were sons of an aunt
(2) of the Lord's. James also and John were sons of another aunt (3) of the
Lord's. Mary (2), mother of James the Less and Joseph, wife of Alphæus was the
sister of Mary the mother of the Lord, whom John names of Cleophas, either from
her father or from the family of the clan, or for some other reason. Mary Salome
(3) is called Salome either from her husband or her village. Some affirm that
she is the same as Mary of Cleophas, because she had two husbands.
Footnotes:
[1764] This fragment was found by Grabe in a ms. of the Bodleian Library, with the inscription on the margin, "Papia." Westcott states that it forms part of a dictionary written by "a mediæval Papias. [He seems to have added the words, "Maria is called Illuminatrix, or Star of the Sea," etc, a middle-age device.] The dictionary exists in ms. both at Oxford and Cambridge."SOURCE : https://biblehub.com/library/papias/fragments_of_papias/fragment_x.htm et https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/papias.html
La parenté de Jésus, d’après les visions d’Anne-Catherine EMMERICH : http://pierre.souchier.free.fr/pdf/parente.j-c.pdf
MARY OF CLEOPHAS
Christopher Y Wong
"And there were
standing by the cross of Jesus His mother and His mother's sister, Mary of
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen." How should we understand "His mother's
sister," literally, as in having the same parents, or in the same sense that
Jesus's "brothers" are to be understood as close relatives?
The short answer is that
Mary of Cleophas is probably the Blessed Virgin's sister-in-law. Mary of
Cleophas may have had a previous husband named Alpheus, or this Alpheus may
have been Cleophas. The Blessed Virgin Mary, of course, only had one husband
(Joseph) and remained a virgin. The long answer follows.
Jesus' relatives
Reading the Bible, we
find that Jesus had brethren named James, Joseph, Simon (Simeon) and Jude (Mt
13:55). We also know that His mother Mary had a "sister" called Mary.
This other Mary in turn had a husband named Cleophas (Jn 19:25). I hope here to
summarize and untangle this maze of relatives. I do not seek to prove the
Blessed Virgin Mary's perpetual virginity here; there are many other sources
for that purpose that I will list below.
First, let us see what
the Gospels tell us. At the death of Jesus, we are told that Mary wife of
Cleophas/Clopas (Jn 19:25) was present. She was described as the mother of
James and Joseph (Mt 27:56) in one account, and mother of James the Less and Joses
in another (Mk 15:40). On the other hand, James is described as the son of
Alphaeus in the synoptic Gospels' listing of the Apostles (Mt 10:3, Mk 3:18, Lk
6:15). We can infer that Mary wife of Cleophas is unlikely to be a true sister
of the Virgin Mary, since they bear the same name. However, they are related in
some way. This parallels the semitic use of "brother" in relating
James to Jesus.
An ancient historian
named Hegesippus can shed further light. A native of Palestine, Hegesippus
finished his Memoirs in the reign of Pope Eleutherius (AD 175-189) when he was
an old man. He draws his information from personal sources, as he was able to
question some surviving members of Jesus' family. Hegesippus can tell us that:
"After the martyrdom
of James, it was unanimously decided that Simeon, son of Clopas, was worthy to
occupy the see of Jerusalem. He was, it is said, a cousin of the Saviour;"
Hegesippus recounts in fact that Clopas was a brother of Joseph (Eusebius,
Hist. eccl., III, 11).
St. Epiphanius (Haer.,
LXXVII, 7) says the same and adds (ibid., 14) "that this Simeon, the son
of Clopas, was a cousin of James the Just," as Hegesippus says in another
passage. (Prat, Jesus Christ, p. 505).
Cleophas is the brother
of Joseph (Jesus' adopted father). It follows that Cleophas' wife Mary is the
Virgin Mary's sister in law, which explains why they can have the same name and
are called sisters. It also follows that James is Jesus' cousin. Ferdinand Prat
reasons:
"We know, then that
the mother of two of the brothers of the Lord was Mary of Cleophas, the sister
of the Blessed Virgin. We also know that Cleophas, St Joseph's brother, was the
father of a third, called Simon or Simeon. Since the remaining one, Jude, is
always connected with Simon and is, like him, part of the family of David, it
is natural to suppose that he was also a son of Cleophas.
All the points that
remain obscure would be cleared up, in our opinion, if two hypotheses are
risked. Mary, the sister of the Blessed Virgin, having two sons, James and
Joseph, by a first marriage, was married a second time to Cleophas, brother of
St. Joseph, who also had two sons, Simon and Jude, by a former marriage. In
light of the customs of the country and the age, there was nothing
extraordinary in the marriage of a widow and a widower, each with children. The
second hypothesis is that the sister of the Blessed Virgin had as her first
husband a man of the tribe of Levi, called Alpheus.
In this fashion nine or
ten problems would be solved. Thus one could explain why James, Joseph, Simon
and Jude are always named in that order, as brethren of the Lord; why James and
Joseph are a pair distinct from Simon and Jude; why Mary, sister of the Blessed
Virgin, is called the mother of James and Joseph and not the mother of Simon
and Jude; why, according to Hegesippus, Simon and not James is the son of
Cleophas; why, again according to Hegesippus, Simon and Jude are of the family
of David; why, according to tradition, James was of sacerdotal ancestry; why
the common opinion of Catholics identifies James, son of Mary, sister of the
Blessed Virgin, with James the Apostle, the son of Alpheus; why Mary of
Cleophas is called in the Gospel sister of the Blessed Virgin, when she was
really her sister-in-law, being the wife of St. Joseph's brother; finally, why,
after the deaths of Joseph and Cleophas, the two sisters brought their families
together, so that thereafter the two families seemed to be but one."
(Prat, Jesus Christ, p. 136-137).
We do not hear of
Cleophas or Joseph (Jesus' adopted father) in the Gospels during Jesus' adult
life. We can imagine that after their deaths, the two families—deprived of
their protectors and heads—came together under one roof. This would further
strengthen their ties: the two Marys as "sisters" and Jesus and His
cousins as "brothers". Gospel and tradition kept these names without
denying Mary's perpetual virginity.
Further reading and
bibliography
Rereading my writing
above, I fear I may have omitted too much material. I do not pretend that any
of the above is my original work; the original sources should be consulted for
the full picture. I will mention some further reading.
Prat, Ferdinand. Jesus
Christ: His Life, His Teaching, and His Work, 2 vols. (Milwaukee, 1950). An
orthodox Catholic work, this is my primary historical source. A strong defense
of the Catholic position, and a fascinating work, it is described by Carroll as
"thorough and profound".
Carroll, Warren H. The
Founding of Christendom (Christendom Press, 1985). The first of a
projected 7 volumes (3 completed), this book's detailed end-notes and annotated
bibliography led me to Prat. Vivid and readable, this is the only attempt this
century at a history of Christianity from an orthodox Catholic viewpoint that I
know of. Warren Carroll is an expert on the Ask Experts forum.
St. Jerome. Against
Heldivius. Where better to get a scriptural defense of Mary's perpetual
virginity than the greatest Bible scholar of his day? The standard Protestant
objections of today were handily refuted in AD 383, such that this heresy did
not resurface again until relatively modern times. James Akin has an electronic
copy at http://www.primenet.com/~jakin.
Fr Most, William G.
"Brothers and Sisters of Jesus". This short article defends Mary's
perpetual virginity, with some attention to linguistic issues. Available as
jesbrs.txt on ewtn.com. Fr Most is an expert on the Ask Experts forum.
Provided Courtesy of:
Eternal Word Television Network. 5817 Old Leeds Road. Irondale, AL 35210
SOURCE : http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/MARYCLEO.HTM
_(cropped).jpg)
Caravaggio (1571–1610),
The entombment of Christ (detail), circa 1602, 300
x 203, Pinacoteca
Vaticana
Santa Maria di Cleofa
sec. I
Moglie di Cleopa (poi
volgarizzato in Cleofa), era probabilmente una parente di Maria Santissima. I
suoi figli furono chiamati “fratelli” di Gesù,, termine semitico, che indicava
anche i cugini. Ella è conosciuta anche come Maria Jacobi, poiché è considerata
la madre di Giacomo, detto il Minore, che poi fu vescovo di Gerusalemme. Faceva
parte del gruppo che seguivano il Signore per tutta la Galilea e S. Giovanni ce
la presenta fra il coro delle “pie donne”, con la SS. Vergine e con Maria di
Magdala, ai piedi di Gesù in croce. Maria di Cleofa rimase presso il Calvario
dopo la morte del Redentore, assistette alla sua sepoltura, si recò con le
altre donne al sepolcro e poté constatare la risurrezione di Gesù.
Etimologia: Maria = amata
da Dio, dall'egiziano; signora, dall'ebraico
Martirologio Romano: A
Gerusalemme, commemorazione delle sante donne Maria di Cleofa e Salomè, che
insieme a Maria Maddalena vennero la mattina di Pasqua al sepolcro del Signore
per ungere il suo corpo e per prime udirono l’annuncio della sua risurrezione.
Nelle grandiose vicende della Redenzione, durante il drammatico epilogo sul Calvario, un coro silenzioso e dolente di "pie donne" attende poco lontano che tutto sia compiuto: "Stavano presso la croce di Gesù sua madre, la sorella di sua madre, Maria di Cleofa e Maria di Magdala", dice l'evangelista S. Giovanni. Era il gruppo di coloro "che lo seguivano da quando era in Galilea per servirlo, e molte altre che erano venute da Gerusalemme insieme a lui". Tra le spettatrici, vi è dunque la santa odierna, la cui continua e vigile presenza accanto al Salvatore le ha meritato un posto particolare nella devozione dei cristiani, più ancora della sua parentela con la SS. Vergine e con S. Giuseppe.
Maria di Cleofa (denominata così dal nome del marito Cleopa o Cleofa) è ritenuta comunemente la madre dei "fratelli del Signore", termine semitico per indicare anche i cugini, Giacomo il Minore, apostolo e vescovo di Gerusalemme, e Giuseppe. Lo storico palestinese Egesippo dice che Cleofa era fratello di S. Giuseppe e padre di Giuda, Taddeo e Simone, eletto quest'ultimo a succedere a Giacomo il Minore nella sede episcopale di Gerusalemme.
L'identificazione di Alfeo con Cleofa, sostenuta prevalentemente dagli antichi, porta di conseguenza a ritenere Maria di Cleofa, cognata della Madonna, madre di ben tre apostoli. Cleofa-Alfeo è inoltre uno dei discepoli che il giorno della risurrezione di Gesù, recandosi nella nativa Emmaus, furono raggiunti e accompagnati da Gesù stesso, che riconobbero "alla frazione del pane".
Mentre il marito si allontanava da Gerusalemme, col cuore appesantito dalla malinconia e dalla disillusione, la moglie, Maria Cleofa, seguendo l'impulso del suo cuore, si affrettava alla tomba del Redentore per rendergli l'estremo omaggio dell'unzione rituale con vari unguenti. Il venerdì sera si era infatti attardata in compagnia della Maddalena per vedere "dove era stato messo". Dice l'evangelista S. Marco: "Intanto Maria di Magdala e Maria madre di Giuseppe stavano a osservare dove era stato messo".
Trascorso il sabato, di buon mattino, mentre il marito se ne tornava a casa, Maria di Cleofa e le altre compagne "comprarono dei profumi, poi andarono a fare su di lui le unzioni". Ma: "Non è qui, è risorto!", annunciò loro il messaggero divino. Alle "pie donne" andate al sepolcro con i loro unguenti e col loro dolore tocca il privilegio della più impegnativa testimonianza: "Perché cercate il vivente tra i morti?". Se Cristo non è risorto - dirà S. Paolo - la nostra fede non vale nulla e noi saremmo dei bugiardi. "Ma - soggiunge - Cristo è risorto ed è la primizia degli altri che ora dormono e risorgeranno". Questa lieta notizia fu data "agli Undici e a tutti gli altri" da poche donne, tra cui Maria di Cleofa.
Autore: Piero Bargellini
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/49100
Voir aussi : http://www.maria-valtorta.org/Personnages/MarieAlphee.htm
http://saintesmaries.free.fr/histoire/jacobe.html
