From: creps@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps)
Subject: Re:      Re: brethren
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 01:46:16 GMT

In article <CHRISTIA%92082508273798@ASUACAD.BITNET> Wolfgang Hutter <HUTTER@DULRUU51.BITNET> writes:
>>Matthew 1 verse 25 says that he (Joseph) knew her (Mary) not till she
>>had broght forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.
>
>Interesting thought once more! To me this implies, too that Joseph knew
>Mary afterwards. Any logical or grammatical flaws?

   The problem with that conclusion, and I think what someone
previously pointed out, is that the word "until" does not imply a
later action.  For example, if a friend were to come visit me to watch
a basketball game, and then we decided to play cards after the
ballgame, someone might ask me the next day, "Did your friend stay
until the game was over?"  The correct answer would be "yes," but that
would not imply that my friend did not stay even after the game was
over.

   I plan to write some more on Jesus' "brothers" later, but what is
likely is that this word referred to His cousins, because in the
Hebrew/Aramaic the word for brother is imprecise as to whether it
means son of the same father, or some other close kinship.

   One other theory has it that these were (putative) half-brothers of
Jesus, i.e. sons of Joseph from a previous marriage.  Another related
(no pun intended) theory has it that Joseph was very advanced in years
when he married Mary, and so did not have marital relations with her.

   I believe Catholic tradition has it that Joseph remained a virgin
for his entire life as well, but can't remember the source for this.
Note I spelled "tradition" with a small 't', not "Tradition," so this
is not doctrine.

   Some people find it incredible that a woman could live her entire
life a virgin.  Many women have done so.  Even more incredible to some
people is the fact that a _married_ woman could live her entire life
as a virgin.  There are known cases of celibate marriages, even in
modern times.  So the doctrine that Mary retained her virginity even
in marriage is not even a miracle, as everyone is born with the chance
to repeat it.

   What I find even more incredible is that Joseph would have the
audacity to have marital relations with her, not because of who she
is, but Whose Child was born of her.  Who would so dare with the woman
chosen as the spouse of the Holy Spirit ("spouse of" in the sense of
"lawfully bearing the Child of")?  I don't see as unreasonable the
idea that Mary and/or Joseph would have thought having marital
relations to be adultery against the Holy Spirit, whether or not it
actually would have been.

   I have the feeling that if I were to start a poll, and ask, "What
would you have done if you had been St. Mary or St. Joseph?" the
majority opinion might be one that agrees with Mary's perpetual
virginity.

p.s. Kerry, you asked if there were an "official term" for Mary's
perpetual virginity.  I'm not certain if there is, but "perpetual
virginity" might be it.  During the Mass, at the point at which the
Saints are mentioned, she is called "Mary ever-virgin" (this is the
part of the Eucharistic Prayers in which God is asked to bring us to
be with the Saints, as they have been so brought to Heaven, and are
now in the presence of God, praising Him).

-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Steve Creps, Indiana University
creps@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia