The Espousals of Mary

Scripture says (Luke 1:27) that the angel Gabriel wassent to “a virgin espoused to a man named Joseph.” It issuitable that Christ was born of an espoused virgin, and this forhis own sake, for Mary’s sake, and for our sake. (a) Forhis own sake: lest he be thought illegitimate; so that hisgenealogy might be traced through a male line; so that, as anewborn child, he might have a proper protector; so that hismiraculous birth might be hidden from the devil. (b) For Mary’s sake: lest she be stoned as an adulteress; lest shebe subjected to ill fame; so that she might have the loving andholy aid of St. Joseph. (c) For our sake: because St.Joseph bears witness to us that Christ is born of a virgin; because Mary’s claim to virginity is at once rendered credible (for, ifshe were unespoused, it might seem that her claim was to coversin); because Mary typifies the virginal Church which is espousedto Christ.

The espousals of Mary and Joseph constituted a truemarriage. The essence of a marriage is an inseparable union ofsouls, even if this union is never brought to carnal use orfruitfulness. Scripture calls St. Joseph the husband of Mary, andcalls Mary the wife of Joseph (Matt. 1:19, 20). Therefore, Mary and Joseph were truly man and wife; they were truly married.