…Again from the Marian Library at the University of Dayton:
**THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MARY’S VIRGINITY **
"The theological significance of Mary’s virginity would seem to lie in her total self- giving to God and in her total fruitfulness as a result of that self-giving.
Cardinal Ratzinger has made some comments on the denial of the virginity of Mary:
The world-view that would force us psychologically to declare the virginal birth an impossibility clearly does not result from knowledge, but from an evaluation… Now we can say that the real reason behind the reasons against the confession of Mary’s virginity lies not in the field of a historical (exegetical) knowledge, but in the presuppositions of a world-view… Contrary to the usual presentation the real dispute occurs not between historical naiveté and historical criticism, but between two preconceptions of God’s relationship to His world…The affirmation of Jesus’ birth from the Virgin Mary intends to affirm these two truths: (1) God really acts - realiter, not just interpretative, and (2) the earth produces its fruit - precisely because He acts. The Natus ex Maria virgine is in its nucleus a strictly theological affirmation that bears witness to the God who has not let creation slip out of His hands. On this are based the hope, the freedom, the assurance, and the responsibility of the Christian.
St. Jerome writes: “For me, virginity is consecrated in the persons of Mary and of Christ.”
With St. Ambrose we see some of the theology of Mary’s virginity:
Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were virginity itself, set forth in a likeness, from which, as from a mirror, the appearance of chastity and the form of virtue is reflected. From this you may take your pattern of life, showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue: what you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast…What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose? …For why should I speak of her other virtues? She was a virgin not only in body but also in mind, who stained the sincerity of its disposition by no guile, who was humble in heart, grave in speech, prudent in mind, sparing in words, studious in reading, resting her hope not on uncertain riches, but on the prayer of the poor, intent on work, modest in discourse; wont to seek not man but God as the judge of her thoughts, to injure no one, to have good will towards all, to rise up before her elders, not to envy her equals, to avoid boastfulness, to follow reason, to love virtue… This is the likeness of virginity, for Mary was such that her example alone is a lesson for all… How many kinds of virtues shine forth in one Virgin! The secret of modesty, the banner of faith, the service of devotion, the Virgin within the house, the companion for the ministry, the mother at the temple."
Sometimes the dogma’s of the Church are mysteries ~ and they need to unfold in our lives…not the type of mysteries we need to solve. Have faith ~ pray to Mary ~ the mystery will begin to unfold.
Of course marriage is a glorious thing. It was instituted by Christ himself and is a sacrament of the Church. That does not mean, however that everyone MUST be married. There is no mandate from the Lord that everyone be married. In fact, the Apostle Paul wished everyone could be like him and not take a wife, in order to do the work of the Lord unhindered.