BVM Series | Blessed Virgin Mary : ‘The ‘Ever-Virgin’

Blessed Virgin Mary is the Ever-Virgin. She remained a virgin before, during, and eternally after the birth of Jesus Christ. One very strong tradition in the Orthodox Church holds that the birth of Jesus was also miraculous and left Mary’s virginity intact as a sign. The Orthodox Church hold firm to the teachings passed on to them from the apostles, in accord with the Scriptures, that Mary was a virgin before, during, and eternally after the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christ was born not of blood, nor by will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. St. Gregory of Nyssa taught “The womb of the holy virgin, which ministered to a birth, did not annul the virginity, nor did the virginity impede so great a birth”.

Blessed Virgin Mary bore Christ in her virginal womb as the bush on Mount of Horeb bore God in its flame. Just like the fire that blazed brightly and brilliantly, did not consume, or damage the bush, the Divinity of our Lord did not consume Virgin Mary, nor was her virginity affected by giving birth. Christ’s virginal conception and Mary’s virginal motherhood can be summed up thus: just as Adam was formed by God from the virginal earth of the earthly paradise (Gen. 2: 4 – 7), so the New Adam, Jesus Christ, was formed by God from the virginal earth of Mary, the new paradise of delights. Mary became the vessel for the Lord of Glory Himself and bore in the flesh Him whom heaven and earth cannot contain. Her life, including her body, as consecrated to God and God alone.

“When he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looked towards the east, it was shut. Then the Lord said to me: This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince himself shall sit in it…”: (Ez. 44: 1-3). This is the east gate of the heavenly temple that Ezekiel saw, remaining shut and not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel entered Mary womb by it, therefore it shall be shut. He alone goes in and out through it. The prophet saw the glory of the Lord at this gate which is in the East, and the house was filled with it (Ezekiel 43: 2, 4, 5). The early Church saw in this prophecy, Mary as a Temple, Christ as the Prince of peace and the gate as Mary’s womb through which Christ entered the world. The gate symbolizes the virginity of Saint Mary and symbol of the Virgin, the Ever-Virgin and how this virginity remained sealed. Yet another, but concrete prophetic theme on the Virgin Birth of Christ, the Lord entering Mary’s womb and being born after nine months with her virginity remaining intact, preserving her body as a pure and untouched vessel.

King Solomon talks about the enclosed garden and the sealed fountain in Songs of Solomon 4: 12. Mary is likened to the enclosed garden and the sealed fountain. The enclosed garden and the sealed fountain came to represent the Virgin St Mary, whose seal remained unbroken even by childbirth. This symbolism of the shut gate in the east seen by Ezekiel, the enclosed garden, sealed fountain referred by Solomon and the city of Righteousness, the faithful city of God, mentioned by King David can be seen in the hymn from the midnight prayer of Sleeba Namaskaram “Mohana Sundara Naamangal…………….

Kanyaka Dhavveeedhin – malkall Marriyaaminnaal,
Poottiya vaathil thennevam haskkeeyelothi,
Poottiya thottamadachhoriittennevun slemoon……….”.

The King of kings, the Messiah is the plant that grew without a seed. St. Jerome wrote “Only Christ opened the closed gates of her virginal womb, and yet the gates remained unfailingly closed”. Chapter 19 and 20 of the Protoevangelium of St. James or the Infancy Gospel according to St James, mentions an eyewitness account of midwives during the birth of Jesus. ‘And the midwife departed from the cave and met Salome and said to her, “Salome, Salome, I have to describe this new miracle for you. A virgin has given birth, although her body does not allow it.” (Ch 19: 18)

Nishttayil Ninne petta, Paavana kanyakkodoppam
Nadhaa dhevaa! Nalkuka yogyatha nin Sthuthi paadaam….