VIRGINITY OF MARY
How should we understand that the Most Holy Mary, the Mother of Christ, was the Ever-Virgin?
—Virginal Conception of Jesus by Mary
St. Luke in his Gospel clearly indicates the virgin motherhood of Mary, which began in Nazareth. He writes: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a husband named Joseph, from the house of David; The name of the Virgin is: Mary. The angel, coming to Her, said: Rejoice, full of grace! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women. She, seeing him, was embarrassed by his words, and wondered what kind of greeting this would be.
And the Angel said to Her: Do not be afraid, Mary; for You have found favor with God; and you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
Mary said to the Angel: How will this be when I don’t know my husband? The angel answered Her: The Holy Spirit will come upon You, and the power of the Most High will overshadow You; therefore the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Here is Elizabeth, your relative, who is called barren, and she conceived a son in her old age, and she is already in her sixth month. For with God no word will remain powerless. Then Mary said: Behold, the Servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. And the Angel departed from Her.” (Luke 1:26-38)
“From the very first formulations, the Church confessed that Jesus was conceived only by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, thereby affirming the bodily aspect of the event: Jesus was conceived “by the Holy Spirit without male seed.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 496)
- “The Holy Spirit will come upon you” (Luke 1:35)
The virginal conception of Jesus Christ by Mary was accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Divine answer to Her question: “How will this be when I don’t know my husband?” (Luke 1:34)
, - given by the power of the Spirit: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you”
(Luke 1:35)
“.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 484)
In the Blessed Virgin, the Holy Spirit carries out the good purpose of the Father. “The Holy Spirit – He who is the “Lord who gives life” – was sent to sanctify the womb of the Virgin Mary and divinely make it fruitful, causing her to conceive the eternal Son of the Father in humanity taken from her human nature.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
485) “
Her virginity becomes, through the power of the Spirit and faith, a unique fruitfulness.
(Ibid.723)
- Mother of God - Ever-VirginHoly Mother of God - Ever-Virgin. This means that She not only conceived Jesus Christ, the Son of God and a truthful man, virginally - from the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Holy Trinity - but remained a Virgin until the end of her life. She “remained a Virgin by conceiving the Son, a Virgin by giving birth to Him, a Virgin by breastfeeding Him. Ever virgin": with all Her being She is the "Servant of the Lord" (Luke 1:38). (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 510)
The Church believes in the perpetual virginity of the Mother of God: even during the birth and after the birth of Jesus. “The deepening of faith in virgin motherhood led the Church to confess the real and permanent virginity of Mary even in the birth of the Son of God made man. Indeed, the birth of Christ “did not violate Her virgin integrity, but sanctified it.” Church liturgy honors Mary as the "Ever-Virgin" (Aieparthenos)
."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 499)
- Only the Father of the Son of God Jesus Christ“God, in His plan of salvation, wanted His Son to be born of a Virgin.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 502)
St. Joseph was not the father of Jesus, as St. Matthew:
“The birth of Jesus Christ was like this: after the betrothal of His Mother Mary to Joseph, before they were united, it turned out that She was pregnant with the Holy Spirit. Joseph, Her husband, being righteous and not wanting to make Her public, wanted to secretly let Her go. But when he thought this, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: Joseph, son of David! Do not be afraid to accept Mary your wife; for that which is born in Her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus; for He will save His people from their sins. And all this happened, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, who says: “Behold, a virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel, which means: God is with us.” Rising from sleep, Joseph did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him and received his wife. And I did not know Her when She finally gave birth to Her firstborn Son; and he called His name Jesus" (Matthew 1:18-25)
.
Jesus has only God as a Father. Not Joseph, but God Himself, the First Person of the Holy Trinity, is the Father of Christ. “The human nature that He assumed never separated Him from the Father (...); naturally the Son of His Father in Divinity, naturally the Son of His Mother in humanity, but actually the Son of God in both of His natures.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 503)
— St. Joseph – the righteous protector
St. Joseph, betrothed to the Virgin Mary, was only the protector of Jesus. He was “called by God “to receive Mary his wife,” “for that which was born in her of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:20)
so that “Jesus, who is called Christ,” would be born of the wife of Joseph into the messianic tribe of David.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 437)
- He received Mary his wife, and “knew her not”St. Matthew writes that Joseph received Mary his wife, and “he did not know her until at last she gave birth to her firstborn Son” (Matthew 1:25).
The expression “as at last” does not contradict the Church’s belief in the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mary.
It denies only that which concerns the past: in biblical language it affirms nothing in relation to the future. “So in the book of Genesis it is said that the raven sent by Noah from the ark did not fly until the water was dried up on the earth” (Gen. 8:7)
;
but later, of course, he didn’t arrive either.” (Bible, Brussels 1973, p. 2015)
The second book of Samuel (Second Samuel) says: “And Michal the daughter of Saul had no children until the day of her death.”
(6.23)
Of course, after her death, they were also gone.— Jesus is the “firstborn”
Also, from the name: “firstborn” it does not follow that Mary had other children besides Jesus Christ, since among the Jews, according to the Law, only begotten sons were likened to the firstborn: they were “dedicated to God” (cf. Is. 13:11- 16)
.
- "Brothers and Sisters of Jesus"
The “brothers and sisters of Jesus” mentioned in Holy Scripture were not children of Mary. “The Church has always believed that we are not talking about the other children of the Virgin Mary: and indeed, James and Joseph are “His brothers” (Matthew 13:55)
, are the sons of Mary, a disciple of Christ, who is specifically designated as “the other Mary”
(Matt 28:1)
.
We are talking about close relatives of Christ, according to the terminology that we know from the Old Testament. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 500)
- Virgin Mother-Sister of all peopleGod wanted that, thanks to Mary's perpetual virginity, all people without exception - including St. Joseph - would be equally “children of the Virgin Mary.” So, Jesus is the only Son of Mary, but “Mary’s spiritual motherhood extends to all the people whom He came to save: “She gave birth to a Son, whom God made the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom 8:29), i.e. believers, whose birth and upbringing She helps with maternal love.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
501)
- A sign that
the Son of Mary is not only human
In what sense is the virgin birth of Mary a sign that Jesus Christ is the true Son of God?“The Gospel stories perceive the virgin birth as a work of God, which surpasses human understanding and all human capabilities: “... that which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit (...) (Matt 1:20)
."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 497).
This was because Jesus is the Son of God.The Son of Mary is not only human: He is also true God. “The Fathers of the Church saw in the virgin conception a sign that this truly was the Son of God who came in the same human nature as ours. Yes, St. Ignatius of Antioch (beginning of
the 2nd century)
wrote: “You are firmly convinced of our Lord, who truly is the branch of David according to the flesh, the Son of God according to the will and power of God, truly born of the Virgin
(...).”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 496) The virginal conception by Mary is the fulfillment of the Divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, a virgin is with child and will bear a Son” (Is 7:14; Mt 1:23: cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 497)— Our new birth from the Holy Spirit
Jesus was conceived virginally by the Holy Spirit. This foretells the new birth of believers from the Spirit, which is carried out in the sacrament of baptism. The Savior said to Nicodemus about this new birth: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3, 5-6)
“Jesus, the New Adam, by His virgin birth inaugurates the new birth of sons to adoption in the Holy Spirit through faith.”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 505)
Through the new birth we receive - not from man, but entirely from God - new life. “Participation in the Divine life comes “not from blood, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of man, but from God” (John 1:13).
The acceptance of this life is virginal, for it is entirely given to man by the Spirit.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 505)
MARY – MOTHER OF JESUS AND VIRGINWhy do we call Mary the Mother of God, although She was only human?
— The Son of Mary is true God and man
Two thousand years ago, “The Son of God became man by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the immaculate Virgin Mary.” (Pope John Paul II, Coming Third Millennium, Tertio millennio adveniente
26)
“The all-good and all-wise God, desiring to complete the redemption of the world, “when the fullness of the time had come ... sent His [Only Begotten] Son, who was born of a Woman, ... that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal 4, 4-5), “Who for the sake of us people, and for the sake of our salvation, came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.”
[Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen gentium) 52 ] .
Luke in his Gospel described the circumstances of the birth of Jesus: “In those days a command came from Caesar Augustus to make a census of the whole earth. This census was the first during the reign of Quirinius in Syria. And everyone went to sign up, each to his own city. Joseph also went from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was from the house of David, to enroll with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for Her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the hotel.In that country there were shepherds in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Suddenly an Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were afraid with great fear. And the Angel said to them: Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people: for today a Savior has been born to you in the city of David, who is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly a large army of heaven appeared with the Angel, glorifying God and crying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!” (Luke 2:1-14)
—Mary is truly the Mother of God
Mary is the Mother of Jesus, since He was truly born of Her. But in Holy Scripture the Blessed Virgin is called not only “Mother of Jesus” (John 2:1; 19:25)
.
St. Elizabeth called Her: “Mother of the Lord” (cf. Lk 1:43)
, which means: “Mother of God.”The Church also calls Mary not only the “Mother of Jesus,” but also the Mother of God. “The Church confesses that Mary is truly the Mother of God (Theotokos).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 495)
.
Since Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ the God-man, we call Her the Mother of God, Mother of God, Mother of God. “Mary is truly the “Mother of God,” for She is the Mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who Himself is God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 509)
- Born of the Father before all agesThe Divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin means that She is the Mother of Jesus, who is both a man and the true Son of God. “Indeed, the One whom she conceived as a man from the Holy Spirit and who truly became her Son according to the flesh is none other than the eternal Son of the Father, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 495)
The Son of God, our Savior, received only his human body from the Most Holy Virgin, just as every child receives it from his mother. Although Mary is the Mother of God, it was not She who gave Jesus Christ His divine nature. The Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. (Cf. Nikeo - Creed of Constantinople)
— The Divine and Human Nature of Christ
There are two natures in Christ: Divine and human. Therefore, He was born from the Father before all ages according to Divinity, and from Mary the Virgin Mother of God - according to humanity. (
Wed.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 467)
Mary is not “the Mother of God because the Word of God received from Her His Divine nature, but because from Her He received a sacred body endowed with a rational soul (...)”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 466)
It cannot be asserted that the Mother of God, by her nature, is equal to the heavenly Father. After all, He is the Creator, and Mary is His most holy creation, called to the extraordinary task of divine Motherhood. “This Motherhood is not only the one and only dignity in the history of the human race, but also the unique in its depth and extent of impact participation in the Divine Economy of the salvation of man through the Mystery of Redemption” [Pope John Paul II, Redeemer of Man, (Redemptor hominis) 22]The Blessed Virgin, through the gift and ministry of the Mother of God, is especially united with her Son the Redeemer.
(Cf. Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, “Lumen gentium” 63)
- There is only one person of our Lord Jesus ChristWhat truth about the person of Jesus Christ prompts the Church to call His Mother also the Mother of God?
According to the teachings of the Church, the Mother of Jesus can be called not only “Christ Mother”, but also “Theotokos”, since in Her Son there was no human personality, but only one – Divine.
— Nestorian opinion
The Church denies Nestorianism. This is a Christological heresy named after the Patriarch of Constantinople Nestorius (428-431), who taught that the Virgin Mary should not be called the Mother of God, but only “Christ Mother, because She gave birth not to God, but only to the man Christ, to whom the Divinity subsequently joined and dwelt in Him as in a temple.” (Christianity, Internet, address: www.teos.org.ru/library/000.htm#nestorianstvo)
According to Nestorianism, there is no unity of personality in Christ and therefore it is impossible to call His Mother the Mother of God. This is not the teaching of the Church. It emphasizes the unity of the person of Jesus Christ and denies the doctrine of Nestorius.
“The Nestorian heresy saw in Christ a human personality united with the Divine personality of the Son of God. In the face of this heresy, St. Cyril of Alexandria and the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus (431) confessed that “the Word, having united with Himself hypostatically flesh, animated by a rational soul, became man.” The human nature of Christ has as its subject only the Divine Face of the Son of God, Who accepted it and made it His from the moment of His conception. Therefore, the Council of Ephesus proclaimed in 431 that Mary became truly the Mother of God through the human conception of the Son of God in Her womb.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 466)
THE HOLY VIRGIN – AN EXAMPLE OF CHRISTIAN LIFE
For whom is the virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary an example of life?
— Monastic life and celibacy
The Most Holy Leva is a model of perfect life for all believers. So, in Her can find an example of life for all those living in celibacy, who voluntarily devote themselves to God and brothers in order to help other people and nations with their prayer and good deeds. The Holy Virgin is an example for those believers who, with their virgin life - for the sake of saving people - want to sacrifice themselves through Christ the Mediator.
In Her can find a model of perfect love for monks, nuns and priests who have dedicated their entire lives to serving God and their neighbor, and live in celibacy. Virginity sacrificed to God is one of the forms of perfect love. “The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Daughter chosen by the Father, appears to the gaze of believers as a perfect example of love for God and neighbor. (Pope John Paul II, The Coming Third Millennium, Tertio millennio adveniente 54).
— Living alone for God and people
Mary is an example not only for those who consciously and voluntarily, like Her, chose virginity and agreed to live in celibacy. The love of the Virgin Mary can be imitated by women and men who, for special reasons, cannot enter the path of marriage and have children, as well as widows and widowers.
“Not all women can start a family and not all can experience the happiness of motherhood. Many do not find a partner and remain alone. Many people are unable to get married due to health reasons. They are left alone. In this situation, the question arises: what to do so as not to live your life in vain, what to do in order to fulfill the calling of a woman who was created for love and without it will not achieve the fullness of her heart?” (Daria Voychek, Catholic Messenger, No. 12 (96) 2000, Internet, address: katp.narod.ru)
— Good Guide and Teacher
The Blessed Virgin, a good Guide and Teacher, shows everyone what to do. She - and also, in all likelihood, St. Joseph - voluntarily sacrificed her virginity to God, as evidenced by Her question: “How will this be when I don’t know my husband?” (Ll 1.34)
The same must be done for those believers who, due to various life circumstances, live alone. By sacrificing themselves - for the sanctification of people and for their salvation - they will constantly improve their love for God and neighbor. Because of their spiritual sacrifice, many people will be saved. Mary shows everyone how to transform loneliness into perfect love.
— An example for spouses
Why is the Virginity of the Blessed Mary also a model for all spouses?
Of course, not all believers are called to a life of celibacy. But for spouses, the Blessed Virgin Mary is an example. She was able to combine her virginity with motherhood and married life.
The essence of Her virgin life was always perfect love for God and for others, which all believing spouses can and should imitate. In a spiritual sense, Mary's Ever-Virginity means that She was always dedicated to God and belonged entirely to Him.
So, the Blessed Virgin is a model of perfection for all believers, for the entire Church. She reminds everyone living alone or married that love for Christ the Heavenly Bridegroom, who died for us all on the cross, should be something most important in the life of every person.
MARY THE MOTHER – ICON OF THE CHURCH GIVING BIRTH TO JESUS
How can we understand that the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin serves as a model for the Church called to apostolic activity?
— Physical and spiritual birth of Christ
Not only the virginity of the Mother of God, but also Her Motherhood is an example of life for all spouses and for all those living alone.
There is not only physical, but also spiritual fatherhood and motherhood, the essence of which is the birth of Christ in one’s soul and in the hearts of people.
In him Christ himself, the Savior, is born and constantly grows, who listens to the word of God and believes in it, who receives communion and confesses. Thanks to Mary's faith and love in Her soul, the Son of God was born spiritually before He became man, taking on body and soul in Her holy womb.
— Apostolic activity – the birth of Christ
Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, our Savior. Her Motherhood is a perfect example of spiritual and apostolic life for the entire Church. The apostolic ministry of the Church, the people of God, is also to bring forth Jesus in human hearts, which is done through the preaching of the Gospel (cf. Eph 3:17)
and the celebration of the sacraments
(cf. Rom 6:4)
.
The Church “through preaching and baptism gives birth to a new and immortal life of children conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 507)
- Our vocation to the apostolateThrough baptism we have all become members of the Church, the Body of Christ, and we participate in its apostolic and missionary activities, at least by praying for missionaries. Each of us is, to some extent, responsible for whether Christ will be born in our brothers, whether He will grow in them, whether they will be friends with Him.
— Parental responsibility
Christian parents especially should ensure that Jesus is present and grows in the hearts of their children so that they imitate Him. Therefore, they should often tell their children the Gospel, events from the life of Christ, tell them about God’s great love, teach them to talk with Him. The example of parents, their imitation of the Savior and His Holy Mother, will help children to live in unity with the Divine Friend Jesus.
Why is it beneficial to dedicate your life to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?
— The value of devoting your life to Mary
The Blessed Virgin is not only an example of a perfect life for everyone, but also a help in the pursuit of it. She strengthens all believers who have dedicated their lives to Her: spouses, priests, monks, nuns and everyone living alone. In life's struggles, meeting someone who knows our difficulties is very important. In all our dangers we can always seek the help of God and our loving Mother. This is always possible, since She herself comes into contact with a person.
The help of the Blessed Virgin is necessary in the marital and family community. It is also important for those living alone. “Loneliness is not easy not only for women, but also for men. Loneliness always confronts a person with an emptiness that needs to be filled with something. But neither work nor anything else can do this. Many at these moments experience deep crises, stand over the abyss and even think about death.” (Daria Voychek, Catholic Messenger, No. 12 (96) 2000, Internet, address: katp.narod.ru)
The Blessed Virgin Mary takes care of everyone.
“Whoever has found a friend in Mary will never know loneliness.” (Ibid.)
She will always help us, so we can devote our lives to Her.Act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
O our Mother and Lady of the world! Just as the Holy Church betrayed and dedicated itself and the entire human race to the Heart of Your Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, looking to Him as a sign of victory and a guarantee of salvation, so collectively we all commit our lives to You, the merciful, most immaculate Heart, until the end of our days. we dedicate - so that Your haste and intercession will hasten the triumph of the Kingdom of God, when all nations, having reconciled with each other and with God, will glorify You, blessed One, and, to Your eternal praise “My soul magnifies the Lord,” from all ends of the earth the voices of love and thanksgiving according to the glorification of the Heart of Christ, the only Giver of truth, life and peace. Amen.
Ever-Virgin Mother of God (Part 1)
The entire dogmatic teaching about our Lady is expressed in Her two names: Theotokos and Ever-Virgin - theotokos and aeparthenos. Both names received catholic recognition, both were accepted by the Universal Church. The New Testament directly speaks about the virgin birth of the Savior; this dogma is an integral part of Church Tradition. “Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary” (or “born of the Virgin Mary”), says the Creed. And this is not just a statement of historical fact. This is a doctrinal statement, a confession of faith. The name "Ever-Virgin" was formally adopted at the Fifth Ecumenical Council (553). And “Theotokos” is more than a name or a laudatory magnification. This is a dogmatic definition in one word. Even before the Council of Ephesus (431), the name of the Mother of God was the criterion of true faith, the hallmark of Orthodoxy. Already St. Gregory the Theologian warns Clidonius: “Whoever does not confess Mary as the Mother of God is a stranger to God” (Epist. 101). This name is widely used by the Fathers of the fourth and perhaps even the third century, for example, Origen - according to Socrates Scholasticus (Hist. Eccl. VII, 32) and the passages preserved in the catenas (In Luc. horn. 6 and 7). Nestorius and his supporters rejected and denigrated the already established tradition. The word “Mother of God” (theotokos) does not appear in Scripture, just as the word “Consubstantial” (omoousios) does not appear there. However, neither in Nicaea nor in Ephesus did the Church introduce any unprecedented innovation. “New”, “unbiblical” words were chosen precisely for the sake of expressing and preserving the ancient faith of the Church. It is true that the Third Ecumenical Council, concerned primarily with Christology, did not develop a special Mariological teaching. And therefore it is all the more remarkable that the Mariological concept became a distinctive feature, a kind of password of Orthodox Christology. “Mother of God” is a key word in Christology. “In this name,” says Rev. John of Damascus, “is concluded the whole mystery of the Incarnation” (De fide orth. Ill, 12; PG 94, 1029). Petavius’s formulation is more apt: “Quem in Trinitatis explicando dogmate omoousiou vox, eumdem hoc in nostro Incamationis usum ac principatum obtinet qeotokos nomen” [Just as the word “Consubstantial” is used and paramount in explaining the dogma of the Trinity, so in our explanation of the Incarnation is the word “Theotokos” ] (De incamatione V, 15). The reason for such close attention is quite clear. The Christological teaching, from which the dogma about the Mother of Christ is removed, cannot be accurately and correctly presented. All Mariological errors and disputes of modern times are rooted in the loss of Christological orientation, opening up an acute “Christological conflict”. In “truncated Christology” there is no place for the Mother of God. Protestant theologians have nothing to say about Her. However, not noticing the Mother means not understanding the Son. And conversely, to come closer to understanding the personality of the Most Blessed Virgin, to begin to speak correctly about Her is possible only in a Christological context. Mariology is not an independent teaching, but only a chapter in a treatise on the Incarnation. But, of course, not a random chapter, not an appendix that you can do without. It enters into the very essence of the teaching. The mystery of the Incarnation is unthinkable without the Mother of the Incarnate. However, this Christological perspective is sometimes obscured by immoderate admiration and spiritually inebriated raptures. Piety must always follow dogma. There is a Mariological section in the doctrine of the Church. But the dogma of the Church itself is a “widespread Christology”, a teaching about “totus Christus, caput et corpus” [the whole Christ - Head and Body].
The name “Mother of God” emphasizes that the One born of Mary is not a “simple person”, not a human person, but the Only Begotten Son of God, One of the Holy Trinity. This is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Let us recall the Chalcedonian formula: “Then, following the Holy Fathers, we confess One and the Same Son (ena kai ton auton). Our Lord Jesus Christ... before all ages, born of the Father according to Divinity, and in the last days of Himself (ton auton) for our sake and our salvation, born according to humanity from Mary the Virgin Theotokos.” So, the emphasis is on the complete identity of the person: “The same”, “His Same”, “unus idemque” [One and the Same] in St. Leo the Great. Here we see the dual origin of the Word (but not two sons: this is a Nestorian distortion). There is only One Son: He who is born of the Virgin Mary is, in the fullest and most precise sense of the word, the Son of God. According to Rev. John of Damascus, the Holy Virgin bore “not a mere man, but the true God,” but God was “not naked, but incarnate.” Same. Whoever is born in eternity from the Father, “in these last days” is born “without change” from the Virgin (De fide orth. III, 12; PG 94, 1028). But here we will not find a mixture of two natures. The “second birth” is the Incarnation. It was not a new person who was born from the Virgin Mary, but the Eternal Son of God became a man. This is the secret of the Mother of God of the Virgin Mary. Motherhood is undoubtedly a personal relationship, a relationship between two individuals. And the Son of Mary is truly a Divine Person. The name of the Mother of God inevitably follows from the name of the God-man. One is impossible without the other.
The doctrine of hypostatic unity also includes the concept of the Mother of God. Unfortunately, in our time the mystery of the Incarnation is too often interpreted abstractly, like an abstract metaphysical problem or a dialectical puzzle. A theologian speaking about the Incarnation slips with unusual ease into the labyrinths of reasoning about the finite and the infinite, the eternal and the temporal, denoting with these concepts only logical or metaphysical relationships - and, carried away by dialectics, forgets about the main thing. He forgets that, first of all, the Incarnation is an act of the Living God, His personal invasion into created existence, the “descent” of the Divine Personality, the personal God. In many current attempts to expound the faith of Tradition in modern language, a subtle but distinct aroma of docetism is felt. Modern theologians so energetically emphasize the Divinity of the Incarnate that His earthly life goes somewhere into the shadows, turning into the “Incognito Son of God.” It is obvious that for these authors there is no absolute identity of the Son of God and the historical Christ. The entire Incarnation is reduced to symbols: the Lord Incarnate is considered as an incarnation of some Divine principle or idea (be it the Wrath of God or Love, Punishment or Mercy, Judgment or Forgiveness), but not as a Living Person. The personal aspect eludes or is deliberately ignored, because the idea - even the idea of Love and Mercy - cannot accept a person into sonship with God: this is possible only for the Incarnate Lord. Something real and very important happened to man and for man, when the Word of God “became flesh and dwelt among us,” or more precisely, even “dwelled in us,” in the picturesque expression of the Apostle John (John 1:14).
“But when the fullness of time came. God sent His Son, who was born of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). Thus Scripture confirms the truth for which the Church Fathers fought in Chalcedon. But what is the exact meaning and meaning of these words: “born of a woman”? Motherhood - even purely human - is not limited to the mere fact of physical birth. Only one who is in absolute blindness can fail to notice its spiritual significance. Birth itself establishes a special spiritual connection between mother and child. This connection is unique and inimitable: its basis is affection and love. Can we, when we say that our Lord was “born of the Virgin Mary,” forget about this love? In this matter, as in Christology in general, no docetic deviation is permissible. Of course, Jesus was (and is) the Eternal God; however, He became incarnate, and Mary is His mother in the full sense of the word. Otherwise the Incarnation would be a lie. But this means that one human being is connected with the Lord in a special and very close relationship: to put it bluntly, for this person Jesus is not only Lord and Savior, but also the Son. On the other hand, Mary was the true Mother of her Child, and the fact that She is the Mother of man is no less important than the fact that She is the Mother of God. Mary's child was God. However, the exceptionality of the situation did not detract from the spiritual side of Her motherhood, just as the Divinity of Jesus did not prevent Him from being truly human and experiencing filial feelings in response to Her maternal love. And this is not meaningless reasoning. It is unacceptable to intrude on the sacred mystery of the unique, ineffable relationship of the Mother and Her Divine Son. But it is even less permissible to pass over this secret in complete silence. One way or another, it would be pathetic to see in the Mother of the Lord only a physical instrument for clothing Him with flesh. Such a view is not only narrow and blasphemous, it has been formally rejected by the Church since ancient times. The Mother of God is not the “channel” through which the Lord was born, but the true Mother from whom He takes His human nature. Rev. John of Damascus formulates the teaching of the Church in this way: Jesus did not pass “as if through a channel” (ws dia swlhnos), but received from Her (ex auths) flesh consubstantial with us (De fide orth. Ill, 12; PG 94,1028).
Mary “found grace with God” (Luke 1:30). She was chosen to serve the mystery of the Incarnation. By this eternal choice and destiny She was to some extent separated from humanity, separated from creation. We can say that She is placed above all creation. She is a representative of the human race, but at the same time superior to it. There is a contradiction in this Divine election. Mary is set apart from humanity. Even before the Incarnation, as the future Mother of the Incarnate Lord, She is in a special and unique relationship with God, with the Holy Trinity, for what happens to Her is not just a historical event, but the fulfillment of God’s eternal decision. She has Her own special place in the Divine economy of Salvation. Through the Incarnation, man regains unity with God, which was severed and destroyed by the Fall. The sanctified humanity of Jesus became a bridge over the abyss of sin. And humanity was given to Him by the Virgin Mary. The Incarnation itself opened a new path for humanity, gave rise to a new man. At the Incarnation, the “Last Adam” was born - Man truly, but more than just a man: “The second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47). And Mary, as the Mother of this “Second Man,” directly participates in the mystery of the redemptive new creation of the world. Of course, She is among the redeemed. She first obtains Salvation. Her Son is Her Redeemer and Savior, as well as the Redeemer of the whole world. However, only for the Virgin Mary the Redeemer of the world is Her Son, the Child whom She carried and gave birth to. Jesus was born “neither of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13 - this verse refers to both the Incarnation and the rebirth of a person in baptism) - and yet He is in the very literally “fruit of Mary’s womb.” His supernatural birth is the image and source of a new being, a new, spiritual birth of all believers, which is nothing other than adoption to God - communion with sanctified humanity, the “Second Man,” the “Last Adam.” The Mother of the “Second Man” undoubtedly enters a new life in Her own special way. And it would not be too bold to say that for Her the Redemption was in some way anticipated in the Incarnation itself. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). This is a true “theophany” in the fullness of the Spirit and grace. “Overshadowing” is a theophanic expression and a theophanic symbol. And Mary is truly gracious, full of grace - gratia plena. The Annunciation for Her is an anticipation of Pentecost. The incomprehensible logic of Divine election pushes us to this bold comparison. We cannot consider the Incarnation merely as some kind of metaphysical trick that did not have any influence on the fate of the people who participated in it in one way or another. God never uses man as a master of his instrument. Every person is a living person. The Holy Virgin did not turn into an “instrument” when she was “overshadowed by the power of the Most High.” Of course, the special position of the Holy Virgin is not Her personal “achievement”, not a reward for “merit” and not an “advance” in anticipation of Her future merits and virtues. It is a free gift of God, literally gratia gratis data. This choice is pre-eternal and absolute, although not unconditional - it is conditioned by the mystery of the Incarnation. Mary occupies a special place in the universe not just as a Virgin, but as the Virgin Mother, the future Mother of the Lord. Her role in the Incarnation is twofold. On the one hand, She ensures the continuity of the human race. Her Son by His “second birth” is the Son of David, the Son of Abraham and all the “forefathers” (this is emphasized in both versions of the genealogy). According to Sschmch. Irenaeus of Lyons, Jesus “headed the long list of humanity” (Adv. haeres. III, 18, 1: “longam hominum expositionem in se ipso recapitulavit”), “gathered in Himself all the nations that had spread from Adam” (III, 22, 3 ) and “took into Himself the ancient creation” (IV, 23.4). But, on the other hand, He “showed a new birth” (V, 1, 3). He became the New Adam. There was a sharp break in the continuity of the human race, a true revolution in the very essence of existence. And this revolution begins with the Incarnation itself, with the Nativity of the “Second Man.” Sschmch. Irenaeus speaks of turning back - from Mary to Eve (III, 22, 4). As the Mother of the New Man, Mary anticipates universal renewal. Of course, Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior. But Mary is His Mother. She is the “Star that reveals the Sun” (asthr emjainwn ton Hlion), foreshadowing the rising of the “Sun of Salvation.” She is “the dawn of the mysterious day,” augh mustikhs hmeras (both expressions are from the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos). And even the Nativity of the Mother of God Herself to some extent belongs to the mystery of salvation. “Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, is a joy to proclaim to the whole universe: from You has arisen the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God” (troparion of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary).
Christian thought always moves in the space not of generalized ideas, but of personalities. For Her, the mystery of the Incarnation is the mystery of the Mother and the Son. The Motherhood of the Mother of God is the guardian of Gospel concreteness, from whose face all docetism flees. On the traditional eastern icon of the Mother of God we always see the Virgin and Child: this is the icon of the Incarnation. And, of course, no icon, no image of the Incarnation is possible without the Mother of God.
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Saints about the Ever-Virginity of the Mother of God: a selection of quotes
“...It is impossible to use the word “conception” in the proper sense about the Uncorrupted and the Unartificial, because the names virginity and carnal conception are not combined in One and the Same. But just as the Son was given to us without a father, so the Child is born without carnal conception. The Virgin, just as she did not know how the God-receiving body was formed in Her body, did not feel the birth, because, according to the testimony of prophecy, She had a birth without birth illnesses. Isaiah says: Before you come to work, you will avoid stomach pain, and give birth to the male sex.”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa
- “If You (the Mother of God) had known a husband, you would not have been worthy to serve this cause (the Incarnation) ... not because marriage was evil, but because virginity is better; and the coming of the Lord should have been more solemn than ours, therefore 410 it is royal, and the king enters in the most solemn way. He had to both participate in birth and be different from ours. That is why both things work out: to be born from the womb is common to us, but to be born without marriage is higher than what happens to us; to be conceived and carried in the womb is human nature; and to conceive without copulation is superior to human nature.”
- “...Virgin <t. e. Eve expelled us from paradise, through the Virgin <Theotokos> we gained eternal life; by which they are condemned, they are crowned.”
- “(Christ) came out of the womb, and the womb remained virgin, because He who, without a seed, built for Himself an animated temple in the Virgin, Himself, like God, preserved the womb intact.”
- “...The Holy Spirit shone in a pure mirror, in the immaculate body of the Virgin, and formed a perfect Man, not according to the law of nature, not in time, not from human seed, but by one appearance, by spiritual and holy power, he moved the Virgin to birth, inexplicably finding the embryo in Her, like some kind of fabric to save people.”
Saint John Chrysostom
“The Greeks recognized that the mother of their gods, even the most supreme, both conceived and gave birth as a result of lust and unspeakable passion, because, as the mother of such gods, she did not leave a single type of lust unknown and unimplemented. About the same one, about whom we confess that she became the Mother of our incarnate God, all generations of men in the very truth recognized that She once accepted a single conception without seed and the corruption that mediates it.
If you do not believe what has been said, then you will understand in all the truth from the power of the Begotten; because He gave sight to the blind, cleansed lepers from ulcers and illnesses, gave the dumb, tongue-tied and deaf the ability to hear and speak clearly, walked along the ridge of the sea, tamed the arrogance of the waves and the swift attacks of the winds, with a single word drove out hordes and squads of demons, many dead people with a word also called to life again.
These signs of His Divinity were conveyed to us by self-witnesses, who kept their testimony to such an extent that they were uninvolved in flattery and servility that they described those that served to humiliate Him: persecution, abuse, throwing stones, spitting, beating on the cheeks, strangulation, the cross, nails and death. This death was soon followed by the Resurrection, which indicates that the one who suffered is God incarnate, and at the same time preaches that she who gave birth is the Mother of God incarnate, if only such things necessarily accept similar names.”
Venerable Isidore Pelusiot
“The conception of the Savior in the flesh of the Virgin was completely unloving, immaculate, undefiled, blameless, pure and uncorrupted.”
Venerable Neil of Sinai
“From His Immaculate Mother He (the Lord) borrowed most pure flesh, and gave Her Divinity instead of the flesh that She had given Him. O wonderful and wonderful exchange!
Venerable Simeon the New Theologian
