Theology of the Body: Our Blessed Mother

We cannot have any conversation of Charity and Purity without discussing Our Blessed Mother- the Virgin Mary. It was from her fiat that Christ came into the world, and it is through her Immaculate humanity, that Christ saves the world. Furthermore as any man knows, to disrespect or even disregard one's mother is a personal offense against the Son. Therefore, in order that we may be guided by Our Lady in our discussion of the Theology of the Body, let us discuss the glory of the Virgin Mary- who in her being glorifies Christ.

Typology

Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Earth has many antetypes in the Old Testament. First of which (at least chronologically) is Eve; for as Christ is the new Adam, so Mary is the new Eve. Eve is not a true antetype, but rather an antitype, of Mary. For as Eve, through her disobedience, brought sin and death into the world, so Mary through her obedience, brings the Life into the world. Furthermore as Eve believed the supreme lie ("you will be like gods") from the snake and consumed the fruit, so Mary in hearing the supreme truth ("they shall name him Emmanuel which means 'God with us'") bears the fruit which redeems the world.
It is Mary, the Θεοτόκος (Theotokos or God Bearer) that is the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant. This is because like the great Ark, she contains God's presence within her in the womb. As the Ark bore the supreme symbols of the Old Covenant (The Torah Scroll, Aaron's Rod, and the Manna from the Dessert), Mary bore the supreme symbol of the New Covenant. This understanding is made present in various texts of the New Testament. When Mary visits Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist leaps for joy just as David danced before the Ark, rejoicing in its being brought to Jerusalem. Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, just as the Ark of the Covenant (an artifact that had been missing for more than a few generations) is being revealed in God's Holy Temple, we are presented with "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1)- often identified as Mary.

Finally, Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth, through her Son, Jesus Christ. Just as the great Kings of Israel had their mothers as queens (something that was merely practical at the time- for they often had many wives), so too is Mary the Queen to Jesus Christ, who rules Heaven and Earth. While some may say that this type is problematic since the queens of ancient Israel are only portrayed as corrupt and evil, it is notable that most of the kings are as well. As Christ incarnates the perfection of the great Kings of Israel, Mary fulfills the ancient duties of the Queens of Israel with great incorruptibility.

Immaculate Conception

Speaking of that Incorruptibility, the Immaculate Conception is often considered to be the term used for the Virgin Birth of Christ. However, contrary to popular belief, the Immaculate Conception refers to the conception (hence the term Immaculate Conception) of Mary. If we look at Mary's antetype, the Ark of the Covenant, there is some solid evidence for Mary's Immaculate Conception. The Ark was made with Acacia wood because it was known to be incorruptible. Since Mary was to also bear the presence of God on Earth, she was prepared at conception for her duties as the Theotokos and therefore was made incorruptible as well. Some argue that Mary is not the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant, but rather Christ is (which stands in the face of the book of Revelation, but I digress). However, even if this were true, we read in 1 Chronicles 15:14 that those who carried the Ark of the Covenant were to be consecrated, or sanctified. If these men, who were meant to carry the Ark, are to be prepared for such a duty, how much more would Our Mother be prepared for her carrying of the Christ for 9 months? Other than a Papal Bull (proof enough for many people), this can't be proven outright- but I think, at the very least, the evidence most certainly points towards it.

Perpetual Virginity

The Virgin Birth, for any Biblical reader, is pretty unquestionable. The text is pretty explicitly clear that Christ is the product of the Virgin Birth of Mary. What is often debated is the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, or that she remained a virgin after the birth of Christ. From an argument of fittedness, it would make sense after giving birth to God Incarnate, that she might want to abstain for a while (and it certainly would be very bold of St. Joseph to attempt to partake of the conjugal bond). But evidence for this can also be found in Scripture.

The most convincing argument (for me at least) comes in the Gospel according to Luke. When Mary, is presented with the information that she will bear the Son of God, she asks the angel "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" (Luke 1:34). At this point she is already betrothed to Joseph, so it would seem clear how it was going to happen (that is, through the relations of a typical marriage). However, the fact that Mary is not clear on the subject, seems to point to the teaching proposed by the Protoevangelium of James. The apocryphal Gospel claimed that Mary was a Temple Virgin who was taken in by St. Joseph, more as a guardian than a "husband", in marriage when she had to leave the Temple due to her menstrual cycle.

Furthermore, if we look at all the other times in the Bible when someone has doubted God's creative ability through human pregnancy, they are usually rebuked for questioning it (including Zechariah, who loses his speech just a few passages earlier). And yet, Mary is not rebuked for questioning her pregnancy, but is simply told "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you". How is it that Mary is treated differently than every other women in the Bible who goes through this (which is a sizable amount if you look at Genesis alone)? Again, the most logical conclusion is that Mary had intended to remain a virgin, even in her marriage with St. Joseph.

There are many who wish to downplay the role of Our Mother in Christian history, because (in their opinion) it detracts too greatly from the incredible glory of Christ. However, what these people fail to understand is that venerating Mary only shines a greater light on the glory of Christ. Mary herself proclaims this to be true: in response to Elizabeth's praise of her visit she says "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47). The praise given to her, only further magnifies the glory of Christ and his work through salvation. Furthermore, just as we sons enjoy when others praise our earthly mothers, so too the veneration of Mary gives Christ great joy. So, as Our Mother through Christ, it should bring us great joy to praise her in all her glory.

God Bless,