THE HOLY BIBLE

 “Merciful Father, as you have sent the Holy Spirit on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to write all that You wished and wanted, we pray You, send the same Holy Spirit on us, so that we may understand, appreciate Your Word, and make it our plan of life. This we ask for the merits of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

42 ….How can a virgin give birth?

It was Mary herself who asked  this question, directly, to the Angel Gabriel:

“How can this be if I know no man?” (Lk.1,34)

Gabriel gave an answer to Mary, and that answer was for all those who ask such a question:

“Everything will be fulfilled with the power of the Holy Spirit, because for God all things are possible.” (Lk.1,37)

This same, omnipotent God, who permitted His Son to be conceived with the power of the Holy Spirit, wanted and permitted another prodigy, that His Virgin Mother would bear a child without losing her Virginity.

“Because for God nothing is impossible” reminded her Gabriel, and we have to keep the angel’s words in mind whenever a doubt comes to mind. We have to remind ourselves; ‘Did not that same body, which was born of Mary, had in later years to walk on the Sea of Galilee, and to multiply the loaves and fishes, and to raise the dead?’ “For God nothing is impossible.”

Tradition makes use of ‘symbols’ to explain the Virginal Birth. The symbol used is wonderful. One day, HE wil come out of the tomb without breaking its seal (Mt.28,2). The Fathers of the Church; St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose and others suggest, propose another symbol: “as the rays of the sun penetrate throught the glass pane, without breaking the glass, the same did Jesus”.              “God from God”, “Light from Light’ was born without spoiling Mary’s Virginity, rather His Birth blessed Mary’s Virginity.

What is the message, rather what do we learn from this Virginal Birth?

The Virginal Birth of Jesus is a ‘sign’ an ‘indicator’:

·      It shows us that He who was born of Mary was not just a male child, a man, like so many others, BUT it was God in the form of a man. The reason behind this wonderful fact is the Divinity of Christ. The Conception and Virginal Birth, show, reveal that Jesus Christ is in reality, truly the “Son of the Living God” (Mt.16,16), begotten of the Father (Creed).

·       

The Virginal Birth of Jesus is also a ‘prophetic sign’, it reminds us that one day God will change our weak, miserable body into the glorious body of His Son (Phil 3,21), Christ Himself will one day be the author of the new creation, “….for the former things are passed away.” (Rev.21,4)

Mary, Virgin after birth.

It seems that THE Bible has nothing to declare about the Virginity of Mary after the Birth of Jesus. But this silence is only ‘apparent’. In fact it is the Divine Maternity of Mary….vouched for by the four Evangelists, which shows us indirectly, because after the Birth of  Jesus, Mary had no other children: thus she remained Virgin  throughout her life, even after Jesus’ Birth.

It is clearly stated, declared in the Gospel, that Jesus was the one and only child, the beloved Son of God. (Mt 3,17) This one and only son is Perfection itself, He is the Lord, eternal God (1John 5,20)  Thus Mary became the living Tabernacle of the Son of God. Certainly there is nothing more Mary could have wished for while she was on earth.  Through this Maternity Mary reached the peak of absolute Perfection.     /43

Certain Information taken, with kind permission, from the book “Who is Mary” by H.G.Mons. Sylvester Magro ofm, Bishop of Benghazi. A very dear friend.