What does it mean, Mary was a perpetual virgin? After all, we call Mary, the Virgin Mary. Simply speaking, it means, Mary was a virgin before, and after the birth of Jesus and was a virgin when assumed into heaven. In another words, She never had any other children, except Jesus, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and never had relations with Joseph. Mary’s Perpetual Virginity is a dogma of the faith, we are obligated to believe.
But today’s Gospel said, “Is He not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” When non-Catholics interpret this scripture outside of tradition, without knowing how the word “brother” is used in the bible, one could think Jesus had at least four brothers and sisters as well. However, later in Mark’s Gospel we find out who the real mother of James and Joses was at the crucifixion, it states, “There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, the younger, and of Joses, and Salome.” (15:40). The mother of James and Joses was a different Mary. In the bible, the word “brother” can also mean “cousin” or “relative”. For example, in Genesis, Abraham called his nephew Lot --“brethren”. He said, “Let there be no quarrel between me and you.. for we are brethren.” (Gen. 13:8) Abraham was not calling his nephew his blood brother. At the time of Jesus the Jews would call near relatives “brethren” or “brothers”.
Did you know Martin Luther believed in Mary’s Perpetual Virginity. He said, “It is an article of faith that Mary is Mother of the Lord and still a virgin…Christ, we believe came forth from a womb left perfectly intact.” However, overtime, the Lutherans would reject their founder’s belief in Mary’s Perpetual Virginity.
The early Church fathers speak about Mary was a Perpetual Virgin. St. John Damascus (384AD) said, “The ever-virgin One thus remains even after the birth still virgin, having never at any time up till death consorted with a man.” St. Peter Chrysologus (Born in 406) said, “The Virgin She conceives, the Virgin brings forth Her Child, and She remains a Virgin.”
Sometimes, non-Catholics will quote Matthew, who said, “And he (Joseph) knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son. (Matt. 1:25) Non-Catholics will say, Matthew says they had no children till Jesus was born, so they had other children after Jesus was born. But St. Jerome explains Matthew used the word “until” to mean “up to the moment” of Jesus conception in order to accentuate the conception of Jesus was miraculous and therefore does not refer to what happened after His birth. St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, (1 Corinthians 15:25) gives us another example, “For he (Christ) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. “Until” here does not mean Christ’s reign will end as Luke 1:33 says, “he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Even priests in their homilies call the people brothers and sisters. But you are not our real blood brothers and sisters. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, let us thank God for Mary’s Perpetual Virginity and thank God for our country’s independence and for all who have died to make us free, and let us ask the ever Virgin Mary to protect our country from the evils of Marxism, communism and socialism, which threaten our freedom. If we take Mary’s Rosary in hand, She will defeat these evils attacking our country.
And so through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, may God bless and protect the USA!
W
