THE HOLY BIBLE ... THE VIRGINITY OF MARY

“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.”

45 .... We even know, through the Gospel, who the parents, of these so-called brothers, were. In Matthew’s account of the Death of Jesus, he tells us that the women present under the Cross on Calvary were, a certain Mary, mother of James and Joseph.

“Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” (Mt.27, 55-56)

“There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.” (Mk.15, 40-41)
Besides, Matthew, names Mary and Mary Magdalen who kept vigil near the Tomb of Jesus (Mt.27,16).
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.” (Mk.16,1)

To conclude with certainty we say that the ‘other Mary’ could not have been Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

One last remark, and an important one is the fact that Biblical Scholars say that in Hebrew they did not have a word for ‘cousin’ as we have in English and in many other languages. For first, second cousins, near or distant relatives they used the words ‘brother’ or ‘sisters’. Even in my language, Maltese, we do have it as a normal usage the word ‘brother’ referred, not to the natural brothers, but to close relatives and even friends. /46

Certain Information taken, with kind permission, from the book “Who is Mary” by H.G.Mons. Sylvester Magro ofm,