Mary of Alphaeus, aunt of Jesus
She is a Galilean native of Nazareth. She marries Alphaeus, the elder brother of Saint Joseph and thus becomes the aunt of Jesus and the sister-in-law of the Virgin Mary.[1] She has four sons: Joseph, Simon, James (the apostle), Jude (the apostle). They are the "brothers" of Jesus[2], while the wives of the first two are said to be "the sisters" of Jesus.
In the work, Mary is interchangeably called "Mary (wife) of Alphaeus" or "Mary (daughter) of Clopas". See the note below. She is counted among the Women Disciples closest to the Virgin Mary at Calvary and in the events of the Passion as well as the Resurrection.
She is the one who keeps the house in Nazareth once the Virgin Mary, after the Ascension of Jesus, decides to withdraw into the solitude of Gethsemane with John.[3]
Character and Appearance[edit | edit source]
She is robust and of a common appearance.[4] While Maria Valtorta attributes around fifty years to her eldest son Joseph, Mary of Alphaeus must be around 70 years old, as confirmed by GRM 14.[5] She is a woman influenced by the prejudices of her time. However, she knows how to overcome them: "her Heart is full of the prejudices of Israel, but naturally good."[6]
Her Conflict with Jesus[edit | edit source]
She is torn between her two sons who follow Jesus and the two who are hostile to him, like her husband Alphaeus. She becomes a widow in the first year of his public life. Now free, and driven by her deep desire[7], she becomes one of the Women Disciples who follow Jesus[8], "the first of the Women Disciples in chronological order". She suffers and works for the conversion of all her children: which occurs.
She is present at many events including the Passion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension.
Her Name[edit | edit source]
In Hebrew Miriam מרים (Myriam – Mirîam).[9] This common name can mean bitterness or "the exalted one," "Prophetess" or the feminine of "Lord" – Historical reference: Aaron’s sister.
Where Is She Mentioned in the Work?[edit | edit source]
GRM 14 GRM 44 GRM 51 GRM 52 GRM 57 GRM 89 GRM 90 GRM 93 GRM 95
GRM 100 GRM 102 GRM 104 GRM 105 GRM 106 GRM 107 GRM 109 GRM 133 GRM 150 GRM 152 GRM 157 GRM 162 GRM 164 GRM 180 GRM 194 GRM 197 GRM 198 GRM 199
GRM 200 GRM 201 GRM 206 GRM 207 GRM 208 GRM 210 GRM 211 GRM 212 GRM 212 GRM 214 GRM 239 GRM 245 GRM 247 GRM 248 GRM 249 GRM 250 GRM 252 GRM 253 GRM 254 GRM 255 GRM 256 GRM 257 GRM 260 GRM 261 GRM 262 GRM 281 GRM 282 GRM 285 GRM 286 GRM 287 GRM 290 GRM 293 GRM 294
GRM 303 GRM 304 GRM 307 GRM 310 GRM 311 GRM 313 GRM 314 GRM 336 GRM 348 GRM 350 GRM 365 GRM 366 GRM 368 GRM 375 GRM 376
GRM 433 GRM 434 GRM 435 GRM 436 GRM 437 GRM 438 GRM 439 GRM 440 GRM 441 GRM 442 GRM 444 GRM 445 GRM 446 GRM 447 GRM 448 GRM 449 GRM 450 GRM 451 GRM 452 GRM 453 GRM 454 GRM 455 GRM 456 GRM 457 GRM 458 GRM 460 GRM 461 GRM 462
GRM 560 GRM 566 GRM 567 GRM 568 GRM 571 GRM 574 GRM 576 GRM 577 GRM 578 GRM 579 GRM 581 GRM 584 GRM 589 GRM 590 GRM 596 GRM 598 GRM 599
GRM 609 GRM 616 GRM 616 GRM 619 GRM 626 GRM 627 GRM 634 GRM 638 GRM 641 GRM 642
Learn More About This Character[edit | edit source]
Mary of Clopas or Mary of Alphaeus?[edit | edit source]
At the foot of the Cross of Jesus stood "his mother and the sister of his mother, Mary, wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene".[10]
Maria Valtorta does not mention a wife of Clopas[11], but rather Mary of Alphaeus (Maria d'Alfeo)[12], sister-in-law (cognata) of the Virgin Mary.[13]
What should one think?
The Vulgate of St. Jerome, as well as the New Vulgate of 1979 both say the same thing:stabant autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius et soror matris eius Maria Cleopae et Maria Magdalene.Neither specifies the relationship that binds this Mary to Clopas, because in Latin, "Mary, wife of Clopas" and "Mary, daughter of Clopas" are translated identically: "Maria Cleopae". Only repeated use makes her the wife, but calling her the daughter is equally correct.
Moreover, the Vulgates speak well of the (sister-) sister of the Virgin Mary, which is the case in Maria Valtorta.
Thus, nothing opposes the idea that Mary of Clopas in the Gospel is indeed the same as Mary of Alphaeus, sister-in-law of the Virgin Mary, and if one were to specify the relationship, it would be "daughter of," not "wife of," that should be translated.
But are Mary of Clopas and Mary of Alphaeus not two distinct persons?
No, in GRM 162.1, Mary Clopas (Maria Cleofe) is well assimilated as the aunt of Jesus (zia Maria), and therefore the wife of Alphaeus since Jesus has only one aunt.
It is known that in Nazareth there were several Marys of Alphaeus. To avoid misunderstandings, then, Mary of Clopas specified the circumstance. Such a misunderstanding could occur between Jude the apostle and Judas of Kerioth, who bearing the same name in Hebrew required an addition for clarity.
This dual designation ultimately caused some confusion: For Eusebius of Caesarea, citing Hegesippus, Clopas was the father of Simon, brother of the Apostles whereas James is well said to be, elsewhere, a son of Alphaeus. This confusion led to the assumption that Clopas and Alphaeus were the same root, which is neither proven nor suggested by anything.
Yet, it is not uncommon in the Gospel to see the same character referred to under several names: Simon, son of Jonah, is one example among others.
In the Dictionary of Characters[edit | edit source]
Excerpts from the Dictionary of Characters of the Gospel, according to Maria Valtorta (Msgr. René Laurentin, François-Michel Debroise, Jean-François Lavère, Éditions Salvator, 2012):Saint Mary of Alphaeus is celebrated on April 9. According to a tradition reported by Saint Caesarius of Arles (early 6th century), she would have come to Camargue[14]. Her feast was solemnly celebrated there even before the 6th century. The family from Bethany emigrated to Provence following the first persecutions initiated in 41 by Herod Agrippa I. She is known there under the name Mary Jacobe: a nickname she owes to her son James, first bishop of Jerusalem.
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
Note: Quotations from the work of Maria Valtorta on this page currently use machine-translated text and will gradually be replaced by the official English translation. Until then, the official translation may be consulted through the reference link provided with each quotation.