Marriage Of Mary And Joseph

[kateri05]

i know this has come up a million times, buti can't remember the right explanation to give someone about why mary and joseph's marriage was valid and real if it was never consummated.

something about it not being a sacramental marriage, but a different kind....


help?

[Thy Geekdom Come]

There are three kinds of marriage: natural, Mosaic, and sacramental.

The Blessed Virgin and Joseph were in a Mosaic marriage, which was not a sacrament, but a legally binding contract in the sight of God by which He recognized a valid union. Such a union would not normally bestow grace, but since Mary is full of grace, I'm not sure how that particular detail gets worked out.

God bless,

Micah

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
4/17 - Second Tuesday of Easter

kateri05,

Remember, too, that (traditionally understood) it is the consent of the spouses to be married that makes a marriage valid. The consent to consummation is necessarily a part of that, but a married couple don't have to act on that to validate the marriage. Hope this helps.

Yours,
Pio Nono

[cappie]

Just my .02 cents

As regards Mary and Joseph's marriage, I would first like to state that the Church professes the perpetual virginity of Mary. She was a virgin before the birth of Jesus, after the birth of Jesus, and for the whole of her life. We state this in the Nicene Creed at Mass when we say that Jesus "was borne of the virgin Mary," This means that Mary and Joseph did not consummate their marriage. Were they married? Yes, because they had exchanged between themselves consent to marry and therefore had a ratified marriage, remembering that God intended marriage from the beginning to be perpetual and exclusive. Did they have the sacrament of marriage? If you believe that both Mary and Joseph received baptism (which many of the Fathers of the Church held and which I believe), than yes they had the sacrament of marriage which enjoys a special firmness as a result of sacramental grace. Did they consummate their marriage? No, so their marriage was not absolutely indissoluble. But it was a true marriage nonetheless and their love for one another and their joy in Christ their son left no room for them ever to desire or think about leaving for another.