The Immaculate Conception

From my personal point of view, the strongest biblical argument of Mary’s perpetual virginity, although indirect, stems from the fact that when Jesus was dying, He entrusted his Mother to the care of John.

If Mary had had other children, this would have been absurd from the point of view of affection and law, that is, to give her over to the care of a stranger. Giving her to John was similar to establishing a maternal filial relationship with him. Although this episode (John 19:25-28) also contains a messianic meaning, as we have explained at length elsewhere, it does not exclude the fact that Jesus’ action implies a family obligation, which is the way John interpreted it since he “took her into his home.” (John 19: 27).

For me this fact has an incontrovertible force which establishes the perpetual virginity of Mary.

What are we now to say of the vow of perpetual virginity? Today, the idea that the decision of living in virginity had been conceived, decided and formulated after the Annunciation, is increasingly taking shape and growing among Mariologists. To me personally, I think that idea is very accurate once we consider our understanding of Mary’s personality.

Extracted from the book “The Silence of Mary” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga.