A reflection on the "Virgin Birth" 

written December 2, 2012

Preface note: from a reflection I wrote over a month ago - just a meander back.

For over 4 years I've been praying the the Church's official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin, slowly gathering more and more understanding and gaining more and more vocabulary. Today, saying the the mid-afternoon prayer for the Advent I come across this antiphon I've seen every  since 2008:

"María dixit: Qualis est ista salutátio? quia conturbáta est ánima mea, et quia paritúra sum Regem, qui claustrum virginitátis meæ non violábit"

The American version of the Liturgy of the Hours translates it as this: 

"Mary said: My soul is deeply troubled; what can this greeting mean? Am I to give birth to my King and yet remain a virgin for forever?"

BUT here's the literal translation - as I translated it:

"Mary said: What is this salutation? Because it troubles my soul and because I am to give to birth the King who will not break (literally violate) my hymen (literally "the cloister or enclosure of my virginity)."

The salutation is the Angel Gabriel's (Hail, Mary, etc . . .).

But my focus here is the phrase "claustrum virginitátis". literally, the cloister of virginity - or the enclosurure of virginity. However, if looked up in any medical dictionary that the phrase is simply rendered it as "hymen".

The antiphon is an expression of teachings on the Lady's virginty - in the most frank fashion possible.  It means she remained a virgin even before, during and after the birth of Jesus.

And how did his birth take place? Not like most women's.  If one thinks she panted and groaned in the pain of child birth, that's taking one down the road to heresy. Why?

Because Mary was conceived immaculately. That is - she did not have the stain Original Sin. And since she did not have that she also did (and does) not share in the curse of Eve visited on all women: to bear children in pain.

But she did give birth - both the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed  attest to this.  How did she give birth? That remains a mystery- the only witnesses to it were the Blessed Virgin herself (because she personally experienced it) and her most chaste spouse, St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus.  This may sound evasive, but the birth was miraculous.  Some how in some way Jesus' infant's body passed through his mother's and was born - leaving her intact - unopened.   So, much so that if she were examined by a gynecologist he/she would not have found sign of any kind that the Mary's body was the body of of anything but a virgin's.,   

The perpetual virginity is considered to be a key tenant of Catholicism.  All Catholics are required to give the assent of faith to this - NO MATTER WHAT 'COMMON SENSE MAY INDICATE.

That's what Catholics MUST believe to remain Catholic - in much the same way Catholics must believe the bread and wine become His Body and Blood and believe that His body dead for about three days in the tomb could rise from death - rise - restored to life and much more.

And in mentioning the Resurrection, there is a parallel here with His birth. Just as Jesus left his mother's body intact and virginal - unopened - so when He rose He left the tomb intact  - unopened.. Matthew's Resurrection confirms this: an angel came down and opend the tomb breaking its seal. However, when that was done Jesus was already gone - already risen.

His birth in which He did not break the seal of His mother's body and in His Resurrection in which he did break the seal of His tomb show His power over life, death and nature itself.

For those who believe no evidence is needed for those who do not, no evidence will ever suffice.

“Ego delustro sic non tu poteris nutu”. 

I disabuse so you can’t snooze.