Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Our Lady's Perpetual Virginity












Jeffrey Pinyan said...

And another thing... Gabriel points out that God has brought about an otherwise impossible event: Elizabeth is with child. Why would Gabriel mention the power of God to do what is otherwise impossible, if Mary's conception of Jesus would be otherwise impossible (since she did not know man)?

Anonymous said...

Amen, thank you for pointing this out to me.

Marco da Vinha said...

Perhaps you can help me out. I remember a long time ago hearing someone well versed in Scripture saying that Mary was troubled because Gabriel's greeting was very similar to a prophecy or greeting (I think) found in the OT, perhaps in one of the prophetical books. Mary, knowing her Scripture (and she had to have interiorized it, or else how else would the Magnificat be so similar to Hanna's prayer?), recognized it and was "troubled".

Anyone know which verse/book of the OT the greeting coresponds to?


The argument of this blog's piece is not altogether compelling, in that the Blessed Virgin's Mother's astonishment may arguably be less something directed "at the suggestion that she would have a child" (sic), than at the news that the Child is "the Son of the Highest" (Lk 1:32), who will specifically "reign over the house of Jacob forever" (Lk 1:33). King David, St. Mary's mighty ancestor, did not reign over Israel "forever;" nor was he described as THE Son of the Highest.

So it is clearly evident, then, that Mary's Son was to be quite special; indeed, the prophesied extent of that specialness, would surely have elicited an astonished gasp from the devout St. Mary.

There is probably a good reason why St. Jerome did not employ the apologetic stance advanced by the writer's blog entry, as part of his crushing riposte to Helvidius' foolish claims. You see, the angel did not simply stop with a declaration that Mary will have a Son, and His Name will be JESUS (Lk 1:31), as our writer here appears to intimate. The revelations of verses 32 and 33, concerning the nature of Jesus ... quite before St. Mary expresses her belief (and her wonder) ... are truly worthy of some marveling, thanks be to God!

Geremia said...

St. Thomas, in his Summa article "Whether the Mother of God took a vow of virginity?," quotes St. Augustine's De Sancta Virginitate ch. 4 (bold part), which is your intelligent daughter's observation:
