The Perpetual Virginity of Our Blessed Mother, Mary is presented in 3 parts:
I "It Doesn't Matter"
II Lex Orandi
III Finding the Appropriate Words Which Express/Describe What We Believe
The Perpetual Virginity of Our Blessed Mother, Mary
Part I of III
“It Doesn’t Matter”
Recently in the forums of a large Catholic website where I’m also a member, several people started different threads on the topic of errors being taught in their local RCIA .
It seems there is a common response being given to several questions in particular – a three word response : “It doesn’t matter.” Apparently that’s what the teachers/directors of several RCIA groups would answer. More than one RCIA group (it is claimed) received this answer when participants asked if the Church teaches that our Blessed Mother Mary remained a virgin after Christ’s birth.
Here are two pertinent quotes from their various recent threads:
In a nutshell, with the fluff trimmed away, what is being said is that the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Mother doesn’t matter ; her virginity only matters up until the birth of our Blessed Lord Jesus. Surely we can’t go around saying something like that because it contradicts what the Church teaches definitively concerning our Blessed Mother’s virginity : The Church proposes, “Yes you must give your assent of faith to the perpetual virginity of Mary the Mother of God” , while the RCIA director (purportedly) says , “It doesn’t matter.”
I think if I had been the one asking the question about our Blessed Mother’s perpetual virginity and an RCIA director (or anyone else) gave me the answer “It doesn’t matter”, I would be quite tempted to reply , “Well if it doesn’t matter , then why did I ask the question ?”
The Church says it matters. The whole reason the Church defines these things and proposes them for our belief, to be granted our assent of faith, is because they do matter.
And they matter in a particular way to each one of us as individuals. Our own personal version of our faith has to adhere to some sort of concept of continuity.
So where/how does this flawed logic creep into the minds of those entrusted with fostering our Holy Catholic faith in the hearts of our neophyte brothers and sisters ? Where does the line of continuity become broken . . . ? . . . So that they may claim , “Mary’s virginity only matters up until the birth of our Blessed Lord – not afterwards.”
I wonder if it is because they haven’t yet been able to grant their own personal assent of faith to the miraculous birth of Christ ? We say not only that our Blessed Mother was a virgin before and after Christ’s birth , but also that She remained a virgin during Christ’s birth. A surprising number of Catholics are unaware of this concept (ignorance which might easily be attributable to, or caused by people – Catholic people, erroneously teaching and believing that the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Mother “doesn’t matter”) If one is able to assent to this truth of our Blessed Mother remaining a virgin during Christ’s birth, then her virginity after Christ’s birth becomes a most logical continuation; it completes the statement , so to speak.
Bishop Fulton Sheen makes the connection of the miraculous birth of our Blessed Lord with the suffering our Blessed Mother endures at Calvary when He says to Her, “Woman, Behold your son,” – from the book The Seven Last Words, Fulton J. Sheen , [pgs 25, 26]
I "It Doesn't Matter"
II Lex Orandi
III Finding the Appropriate Words Which Express/Describe What We Believe
The Perpetual Virginity of Our Blessed Mother, Mary
Part I of III
“It Doesn’t Matter”
Recently in the forums of a large Catholic website where I’m also a member, several people started different threads on the topic of errors being taught in their local RCIA .
It seems there is a common response being given to several questions in particular – a three word response : “It doesn’t matter.” Apparently that’s what the teachers/directors of several RCIA groups would answer. More than one RCIA group (it is claimed) received this answer when participants asked if the Church teaches that our Blessed Mother Mary remained a virgin after Christ’s birth.
Here are two pertinent quotes from their various recent threads:
A) “Whether or not the Virgin Mary remained virgin after she gave birth didn't matter. . ”
B) “Already, though, we were just talking about Mary's perpetual virginity, and the RCIA director mentioned it didn't matter if we believe it or not since all that matters is that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. . .”
In a nutshell, with the fluff trimmed away, what is being said is that the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Mother doesn’t matter ; her virginity only matters up until the birth of our Blessed Lord Jesus. Surely we can’t go around saying something like that because it contradicts what the Church teaches definitively concerning our Blessed Mother’s virginity : The Church proposes, “Yes you must give your assent of faith to the perpetual virginity of Mary the Mother of God” , while the RCIA director (purportedly) says , “It doesn’t matter.”
I think if I had been the one asking the question about our Blessed Mother’s perpetual virginity and an RCIA director (or anyone else) gave me the answer “It doesn’t matter”, I would be quite tempted to reply , “Well if it doesn’t matter , then why did I ask the question ?”
The Church says it matters. The whole reason the Church defines these things and proposes them for our belief, to be granted our assent of faith, is because they do matter.
And they matter in a particular way to each one of us as individuals. Our own personal version of our faith has to adhere to some sort of concept of continuity.
So where/how does this flawed logic creep into the minds of those entrusted with fostering our Holy Catholic faith in the hearts of our neophyte brothers and sisters ? Where does the line of continuity become broken . . . ? . . . So that they may claim , “Mary’s virginity only matters up until the birth of our Blessed Lord – not afterwards.”
I wonder if it is because they haven’t yet been able to grant their own personal assent of faith to the miraculous birth of Christ ? We say not only that our Blessed Mother was a virgin before and after Christ’s birth , but also that She remained a virgin during Christ’s birth. A surprising number of Catholics are unaware of this concept (ignorance which might easily be attributable to, or caused by people – Catholic people, erroneously teaching and believing that the perpetual virginity of our Blessed Mother “doesn’t matter”) If one is able to assent to this truth of our Blessed Mother remaining a virgin during Christ’s birth, then her virginity after Christ’s birth becomes a most logical continuation; it completes the statement , so to speak.
Bishop Fulton Sheen makes the connection of the miraculous birth of our Blessed Lord with the suffering our Blessed Mother endures at Calvary when He says to Her, “Woman, Behold your son,” – from the book The Seven Last Words, Fulton J. Sheen , [pgs 25, 26]
“ ‘Behold your son !’ It was the second nativity ! Mary had brought forth her First-born without labour, in the cave of Bethlehem; she now brings forth her second-born – John, in the labours of the Cross. At this moment Mary is undergoing the pains of childbirth, not only for her second-born who is John, but also for the millions who will be born to her in Christian ages as ‘Children of Mary.’
Now we can understand why Christ was called her ‘First-born.’ It was not because she was to have other children by the blood of flesh but because she was to have other children by the blood of her heart. Truly, indeed, the Divine condemnation against Eve is now renewed against the new Eve, Mary , for she is bringing forth her children in sorrow.”
