– Mary, Mother of Jesus and ours, was a virgin before and after childbirth:
Mt 1:23 : Behold, a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, who will call his name Emmanuel.
Luke 1:27 , 30-31 : To a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
– It was used by the prophets in symbolic language to indicate Israel’s relations to God:
Is 37,22 : The virgin, daughter of Zion, despises you and mocks you.
Is 49:18 : “As I live”, says the Lord, “you will dress yourself in full dress, as a bride you will gird yourself”.
Is 62,4-5 : You will be called: my favorite, and your land: the betrothed.
Jr 18,13 : Who has ever heard such a thing? It was nameless wickedness committed by the virgin of Israel.
Jer 31,4.21 : I will rebuild you, and you will be restored, O virgin of Israel!
Lam 2:13 : Who will save and comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion?
Ez 16,8 : I covered your nakedness; then I made a covenant with you, binding myself to you by oath.
Am 5,2 : The virgin of Israel has fallen, and will not rise again.
– In the NT, it is embraced by people who want to dedicate themselves in a special way to the service of God:
Mt 19:12 : Because there are eunuchs who are eunuchs from their mothers’ wombs.
Mt 25,1.6 : Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom.
Luke 20:35 : But those who will be judged worthy of the world to come and of the resurrection from the dead will have neither wife nor husband.
– And it is used symbolically to designate the Church:
Eph 5:25-26 : Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.
2Cor 11 :2 : For I betrothed you to one husband and presented you to Christ as a chaste virgin.
Rev 19,7-8 : Because the marriage of the Lamb is near. His wife is prepared.
Rev 21,2.9-10 : I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, come down from heaven […] like a bride adorned for her husband.
– See CELIBACY.
