From the first formulations of her faith, the Church has confessed
that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of
the Virgin Mary, affirming also the corporeal aspect of this event: Jesus was
conceived "by the Holy Spirit without human seed". The Fathers see in
the virginal conception the sign that it truly was the Son of God who came in a
humanity like our own. Thus St. Ignatius of Antioch at the beginning of the
second century says:
You are firmly convinced about our Lord, who is truly of the race
of David according to the flesh, Son of God according to the will and power of
God, truly born of a virgin,. . . he was truly nailed to a tree for us in his
flesh under Pontius Pilate. . . he truly suffered, as he is also truly risen.
Roman 1:3 The gospel about his Son, descended from David according
to the flesh,
John 1:13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human
choice nor by a man's decision but of God.
The Gospel accounts understand the virginal conception of Jesus as
a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility:"
Matthew 1:18-25 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came
about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived
together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to
expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention
when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your
home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in
her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save
his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord
had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and
bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is
with us."When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded
him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she
bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
Luke 1:26:38 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from
God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named
Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is
with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what
sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be
afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and
will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne
of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of
his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How
can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to
her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called
holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived
a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called
barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold,
I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your
word." Then the angel departed from her.
That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit", said
the angel to Joseph about Mary his fiancee.
Matthew 1:20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
The Church sees here the fulfillment of the divine promise given
through the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a
son."
Matthew 1;23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear
a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with
us."
People are sometimes
troubled by the silence of St. Mark's Gospel and the New Testament Epistles
about Jesus' virginal conception. Some might wonder if we were merely dealing
with legends or theological constructs not claiming to be history. To this we must
respond: Faith in the virginal conception of Jesus met with the lively
opposition, mockery or incomprehension of non-believers, Jews and pagans alike;
so it could hardly have been motivated by pagan mythology or by some adaptation
to the ideas of the age. The meaning of this event is accessible only to faith,
which understands in it the "connection of these mysteries with one
another"in the totality of Christ's mysteries, from his Incarnation to his
Passover. St. Ignatius of Antioch already bears witness to this connection:
"Mary's virginity and giving birth, and even the Lord's death escaped the
notice of the prince of this world: these three mysteries worthy of
proclamation were accomplished in God's silence."
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