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the Immaculate Virgin Conception of the Virgin Mary


> Perfect Virgin 
>      Perfect Virgin Mary,
> your perfect virgin life
> began with a miraculous virgin conception
> and a miraculous virgin birth.
> By virtue of your Divine Son Jesus Christ's perfect virginity,
> of which your perfect virginity is but an imitation,
> from which your perfect virginity proceeds,
> grant chastity, modesty, and humility
> to us, who trust in your perfect virginity,
> and to the whole world.
> Amen.
>     "God desired
> that the Virginity of Mary,
> the Mother of Jesus Christ,
> be so perfect, complete, and all-encompassing
> that even the manner of her Immaculate Conception
> and her Holy Birth
> were required by God
> to be entirely Virginal,
> occurring solely and entirely by a miracle of God,
> and not in the usual way."
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> the Virginity of Jesus and Mary is a booklet of theological insights about the
> Virgin Conception and Virgin Birth of Jesus and the Immaculate Virgin
> Conception and Virgin Birth of Mary. Quotes from the booklet, and a summary of
> the theological arguments, are found below.
> 
> Questions and Answers:  
> Question:  "Is this the official teaching of the Catholic Church?"  
> Answer:  The Catholic Church has no official teaching on whether or not the
> Virgin Mary had a virgin conception and virgin birth. This booklet contains
> speculative theology, that is, theology on questions not yet decided by the
> Church.
> But I say more. There are ten thousand truths as yet undiscovered within the
> ancient Deposit of Faith:  Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
> 
> Question:  "Are you saying that Saint Ann was a virgin?"  
> Answer:  No, Saint Ann was not a virgin. Saints Ann and Joachim conceived a
> child in the usual way, the older sister of the Virgin Mary, mentioned in John
> 19:25. Rather, I am saying that the manner of the Virgin Mary's Immaculate
> Conception was entirely virginal and miraculous.
> 
> Question:  "What are the differences between Mary's conception and Christ's
> conception?"  
> Answer:  (1) Christ is Divine, whereas Mary is merely human. Thus, Christ's
> conception was an Incarnation, whereas Mary's conception was not an
> Incarnation.  
> (2) Mary was conceived, virginally and miraculously, of both her parents (St.
> Joachim and St. Ann). Christ was conceived, virginally and miraculously, of
> only one human parent (the Virgin Mary). This difference indicates that Christ
> is Divine, with God alone as His Father, whereas Mary is merely human.  
> (3) Christ was conceived, virginally and miraculously, of a perfect Virgin.
> Mary was conceived, virginally and miraculously, of Joachim and Ann, who were
> not virgins. Joachim and Ann conceived a child years earlier, the older sister
> of the Virgin Mary (Jn 19:25).
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 1. Argument based on Sacred Tradition
> 
> The Church has always taught that Mary is perfect in every way, including her
> perfect virginity. Christ's perfect virginity is the definition of perfect
> virginity and includes a virgin conception and virgin birth. Mary is like
> Christ in all things except His Divinity. Therefore, Mary had a virgin
> conception and a virgin birth, similar to Christ's virgin conception and
> virgin birth.
> 
> "The perfect Virginity of Jesus Christ requires that He have a Virgin
> Conception and Virgin Birth. The Virgin Conception and Virgin Birth of Jesus
> Christ are a necessary and essential part of Christ's perfect Virginity. The
> Virgin Conception and Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ are in no way superfluous
> or extraneous to Christ's perfect Virginity. The Virgin Conception and Virgin
> Birth of Jesus Christ are an integral and meaningful part of His perfect
> Virginity."
> 
> "The Virginity of Mary is also entirely perfect, therefore she also must
> necessarily have a Virgin Conception and Virgin Birth. It cannot be otherwise.
> The Virgin Mary is perfect, therefore her Virginity must also be perfect. To
> be perfect is to be like Christ. Since Christ has a Virgin Conception and
> Virgin Birth, Mary must also have a Virgin Conception and Virgin Birth."
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 2. Argument based on Sacred Scripture
> 
> “ ‘Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one
> greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is
> greater than he.’ ” (Mt 11:11).
> 
> “ ‘I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John; yet he who
> is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ ” (Lk 7:28).
> 
> Those who have a natural conception and birth are not greater than John. Jesus
> and Mary are both greater than John. Therefore, Jesus and Mary each had a
> conception and birth which differs from that of natural conception and birth.
> They each had a miraculous, virginal conception and a miraculous, virginal
> birth.
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 3. The writings of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
> 
> “After passing through about a third of the passage Joachim came to a place in
> the midst of which stood a pillar in the form of a palm-tree with hanging
> leaves and fruits. Here he was met by Anna, radiant with happiness. They
> embraced each other with holy joy, and each told the other their good tidings.
> They were in a state of ecstasy and enveloped in a cloud of light. I saw this
> light issuing from a great host of angels, who were carrying the appearance of
> a high shining tower and hovering above the heads of Anna and Joachim."
> Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
> (Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1970), p. 40-41.
> 
> “The tower vanished between Joachim and Anne, both of whom were encompassed by
> brilliant light and glory. At the same moment the heavens above them opened,
> and I saw the joy of the Most Holy Trinity and of the angels over the
> Conception of Mary. Both Joachim and Anne were in a supernatural state. I
> learned that, at the moment in which they embraced and the light shone around
> them, the Immaculate Conception of Mary was accomplished.”
> Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical
> Revelations, (Rockford, Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, Inc., 1986), Vol.
> 1, p. 137-138.
> 
> Now, private revelation does not have the authority of Sacred Scripture or
> Sacred Tradition. However, neither should we ignore private revelations given
> to the saints. The Church rightly permits the faithful to learn and benefit
> from private revelation, such as the private revelations given at Fatima and
> Lourdes.
> 
> The argument from the private revelations (visions) given to Blessed Anne
> Catherine is not as strong as the arguments from Sacred Scripture and Sacred
> Tradition. Yet her words are worth consideration, since she has been declared
> Blessed by the Church.
> 
> Blessed Anne Catherine saw visions of the Immaculate Conception and the birth
> of the Virgin Mary. She described these as occurring miraculously and
> virginally.
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 4. Some Additional Quotes From The Booklet
> 
> "It is a part of the total and constant Virginity of Mary, the Mother of God,
> that even the manner of her Immaculate Conception was completely Virginal,
> occurring solely and entirely by means of a miracle from the Mercy of God, and
> not by means of human will or action. Saint Joachim and Saint Ann did not
> conceive the Virgin Mary by means of marital relations. The Immaculate Virgin
> Conception of the Virgin Mary occurred in a manner which was wholly virginal
> and miraculous. Such a true virgin conception could never be brought about by
> nature or science or human intervention, but solely by a miracle of God. Even
> so, by the power of God, the body of the Virgin Mary came from both her
> father, Saint Joachim, and her mother, Saint Ann. The Virgin Mary has as her
> immediate ancestors both Saint Joachim and Saint Ann. Saint Joachim is the
> Virgin Mary's real, biological father and Saint Ann is the Virgin Mary's real,
> biological mother, yet the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary occurred
> solely by means of a miracle of God. This teaching is true and worthy of full
> acceptance by all Christians."
> 
> "The Virginity of Mary, the Mother of the Messiah, is without flaw, omission,
> or imperfection. To have a flaw is to have something that one ought not to
> have. Mary's perfect Virginity is without flaw, containing nothing contrary to
> the will of God. An omission is something lacking that ought to be present.
> Mary's perfect Virginity is without omission, lacking in nothing, containing
> everything according to the will of God. An imperfection is when something
> that ought to be present is present, but in a lesser form and not entirely as
> it ought to be. Mary's perfect Virginity is without imperfection, and is
> everything that it could ever be and should ever be, in complete fulfillment
> of the perfect will of God. The perfect Virginity of Mary, the Mother of God,
> is three times perfect and entirely perfect, without flaw, omission, or
> imperfection. The Virginity of Mary, the most pure Mother of our Divine Savior
> Jesus Christ, is a perfect reflection of the will of God."
> 
> by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
> 
> Read the booklet in Kindle format: the Virginity of Jesus and Mary





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