The Oedipus Complex

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Servant of Divine' date='22 October 2009 - 01:36 PM' timestamp='1256236618' post='1989751']
While those are beautiful icons, they portray the Child Jesus and His Mother. I'm referring to works of art, such as this one.
[media]http://204.200.197.131/mary/jesus-mary-hearts-30.jpg[/media]

Anyone without the proper for-knowledge what proabably assume these two are couple.
[/quote]
That may be so, but which depiction is more well known? I can't say I've ever seen that one you posted before.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Nihil Obstat

[Winchester]

And I grew up thinking dogs played poker and Elvis had a halo.

[StColette]

[quote name='Servant of Divine' date='22 October 2009 - 02:02 PM' timestamp='1256234560' post='1989737']
I never said that Jesus had this problem. I simply stated that often we represent the Madonna in such a manner that young children- myself included when I was 4 or 5, and non-Abrahamic do at times become confused. Even the most devote Catholic must admit that in Christian art, the adult Christ and Madonna could easliy be mistaken for husband and wife, not mother and Son. A simple explaination to that effect would have sufficed it. Yet for whatever reason you said that Song of Songs- a book always ommitted from Childrens' picture Bibles- disproves this notion because the Madonna is the woman detailed in this account.
[/quote]

Disproves what notion? You're not being very clear.

I've yet to teach a child in a PSR or Catechesis setting that has ever been confused by a picture of the adult Christ with his mother. I don't see how two people depicted standing next to one another are automatically married.

Btw, what "simple explanation to that effect" are you referring to because I don't see one in your post.

The reason Song of Songs was mentioned was because you asked if Mary was ever called the Spouse of Christ. The answer is yes, there's a tradition of there being a spiritual espousal of Christ and Mary because of her role as Second Eve and Model of the Church. This is why I mentioned Song of Songs. If you just wanted to talk about how some art can cause confusion then you should have stated so in your posts, which you did not. You simply asked if Mary has ever been called the Spouse of Christ, and the answer is yes. There's no ignoring that. Now, would I explain that to a 4 or 5 year old, no. But any high schooler or above should be able to comprehend why she is spiritually the spouse if it is explained correctly and clearly and they are willing to read on their own.

In addition, I did not say that [b]the woman[/b] in Song of Songs was the Blessed Virgin. I said in the spiritual sense some of the verses can be applied to the Blessed Mother, some to the Church, and some to Christians as a whole and some verses can apply to all three.