Mary, and the Crown of Virginity

In Time's Cathedral today marks the end of the Western Church's celebration of Christmas, culminating in the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.  This is a perfect time to consider one of Mary most defining attributes: her miraculous virginity.

Virginity is prized in the Church; that is common knowledge.  If we ask the average person, though, they might be hard pressed to explain why, precisely, that might be; one reason can be found with Mary.  First, I'll have to go on a brief detour: Mary is proclaimed to the world as the Mother of God, because in her womb she conceived Jesus who is God; some come back with "but she only conceived Jesus' human nature, right???"  That would be a good objection, if mothers were mothers of natures instead of persons; but my mother happens to be the mother of my person, not my nature; I don't say "hi mother-of-my-human-nature!"  Mary is the Mother of the Person whom we call "Jesus Christ."  This person happens to be both God and man; this means that we can call Mary the Mother of a man, and the Mother of a God.  Since there is but one God, we simplify it to: Mary is "Mother of God."

With that out of the way, consider Mary's carrying of the Christ-child.  This is not an ordinary pregancy; she is carrying God Himself within her womb.  Christians like to talk about "carrying Christ within me," but they mean it figuratively (though not unrealistically).  Well, here we have the most perfect sign that could ever be of "carrying Christ within me."  Jesus is actually, substantially, and physically present within the womb of the Blessed Virgin.  We are specifically told, in Matthew, that Mary is a virgin and remains so throughout the time she carries Christ: "His Mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph... she was found with child throught the Holy Spirit... [Joseph] had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus" (Mt. 1:18, 25).  The virginity of Mary is a sign; it is a sign of bringing Christ into the world.  Because of the time that she carried the Christ, Mary is the archfigure of the Christian; the figurative "carrying Christ within" and "bringing Christ to others" finds it image and meaning in Mary's own "carrying Christ within."

Early on, women's monastic communities understood their virginity as a "sign of a sign."  Mary's carrying of the Christ is the sign; the sign of carrying Christ within.  By their virginity, then, the nuns become like Mary - it's as though they are carrying Christ themselves.  The Fourth-century St. Cyril of Jerusalem understood this when he wrote, speaking of an Order of Virgins: "Let the Lord born of the Virgin be worshiped, and let the virgins recognize the crown of their own state... the virgins have their portion with Mary the Virgin" (Catecheses, XII, 33-34).  The "Lord born of the Virgin" is, of course, Christ; the crown of the virgin state is Mary, whom the virgins "have their portion" with; they have become signs of the Sign of carrying Christ within.

Consecrated virginity, then, is first of all a sign of carrying Christ within; it is an especially strong sign for women religious.  Many religious communities to this day retain a sense in which the nun is "espoused" to the Holy Spirit, as Mary was through the begetting of the Christ.  It is as if they are carrying inside of themselves the Christ, just as Mary did.  It is because of the glory of the Crown of Virginity that the Church so highly esteems chastity and virginity, and it is because of Mary's blessed virgin motherhood that we honor her as First-of-Saints and as Mother of God.