Confusion understanding the Immaculate Conception

[Rosalinda]

Some friends have told me they believe that as Our Lady was immaculately conceived they believe her parents St. Joachim and St. Anne did not have normal intimate relations at the time of her conception. It sounds bogus to me but they were quite serious. I told them they have a complete misunderstanding of the Immaculate Conception and their very notion undermines the beauty and sacred nature of a wedded couple in physical union. Where are they coming from? :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

 

[JimG]

You are right, of course. The immaculate conception actually has nothing to do with sex. It means that Mary was conceived without original sin.

As far as I know, there is nothing in Catholic doctrine which would say that Mary was not conceived through the natural means of marital intercourse.

The doctrine of the virgin birth, which states that Jesus was conceived through the power of the holy spirit and born of a virgin, applies of course to Jesus, not Mary.

 

[BibleReader]

Rosalinda:

Some friends have told me they believe that as Our Lady was immaculately conceived they believe her parents St. Joachim and St. Anne did not have normal intimate relations at the time of her conception. It sounds bogus to me but they were quite serious. I told them they have a complete misunderstanding of the Immaculate Conception and their very notion undermines the beauty and sacred nature of a wedded couple in physical union. Where are they coming from? :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

I am convinced that Joachim and Anne laughed and loved and enjoyed the heck out of each other, precisely as God wills, pursuant to His gift of sexuality to us.

 

[EA_Man]

Rosalinda:

Some friends have told me they believe that as Our Lady was immaculately conceived they believe her parents St. Joachim and St. Anne did not have normal intimate relations at the time of her conception. It sounds bogus to me but they were quite serious. I told them they have a complete misunderstanding of the Immaculate Conception and their very notion undermines the beauty and sacred nature of a wedded couple in physical union. Where are they coming from? :tsktsk: :tsktsk: :tsktsk:

How can it undermine “the beauty and sacred nature of a wedded couple” when Catholic dogma states that Mary and Joseph never had physical relations? They were married, correct?

If it’s good enough for two saints, why not two other saints?

Peace

 

[John666]

Rosalinda:

I told them they have a complete misunderstanding of the Immaculate Conception

Maybe provide them with the definiton of Im -maculate Conception. And do they know the origin of the term??

Joe

 

[Rosalinda]

EA_man, to respond to how were the relationships different between Joachim and Anne and Joseph and Mary. The former couple gave birth to a human person, Mary; whereas, the latter couple were parents of a Divine person, Jesus Christ true God and true Man. While the love between Joseph and Mary was very deep Joseph would have refrained from a physical relationship with his wife because she was the spouse of the Holy Spirit because her body had become a tabernacle in the flesh of the Word made flesh. The gospel of St. Luke clearly states the Holy Spirit overshadowed her. However, in the case of St. Joachim and St. Anne there was no such impediment. The cases are clearly distinct.
My friends seemed to infer that in order for Mary to be conceived without original sin her parents had to conceive her outside of the natural marital union. That is why I pointed out there was no sin even if she had been conceived in an ordinary way because when this happens to a married couple it is a beautiful and sacred act holy and pleasing to God. What concerned me is an attitude which deprives God of His due glory when we underestimate how marvellously we have been created.