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JennGM
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I was taught that when Mary gave birth to Jesus, there was no pain like the typical childbirth. I think some of the ideas came from Mary of Agreda.
Is this just pious tradition or does the Church teach it this way?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Barbara C.
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I think it is also a natural extension from Genesis where "pain in childbirth" is a consequence of Eve's sin. Since Mary was created without sin, then she was exempt from the punishment the rest of us receive.
I have heard some people say that the baby Jesus just appeared on Mary's lap. I tend to think, though, that she probably felt contractions and when to push but they weren't super-intense, just slightly uncomfortable to let her know what was going on. And then it didn't hurt at all when she pushed the baby out.
I don't know the official Church position, but I find it interesting as well.
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Barbara
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PDyer
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I found this reference on the Catholic Answers forum:
THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST TRANSCENDS
THE ORDER OF NATURE
But as the Conception itself transcends the order of nature, so the birth of our Lord presents to our contemplation nothing but what is divine.
Besides, what is admirable beyond the power of thoughts or words to express, He is born of His Mother without any diminution of her maternal virginity, just as He afterwards went forth from the sepulchre while it was closed and sealed, and entered the room in which His disciples were assembled, the doors being shut; or not to depart from every-day examples, just as the rays of the sun penetrate without breaking or injuring in the least the solid substance of glass, so after a like but more exalted manner did Jesus Christ come forth from His mother's womb without injury to her maternal virginity. This immaculate and perpetual virginity forms, therefore, the just theme of our eulogy. Such was the work of the Holy Spirit, who at the Conception and birth of the Son so favored the Virgin Mother as to impart to her fecundity while preserving inviolate her perpetual virginity.
CATECHISM OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT
PART 1: THE CREED
Article III
Editing to add link. You have to page down a bit.
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Jen L.
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I can't find the source now, but I at least some Catholic theologians (and saints?) say that Mary suffered through labor at the foot of the cross. Her sorrows at the foot of the cross are her labor pains in giving birth to all the children of the Church.
Revelation 12:1-2
"And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery."
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Jen
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MaryM
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This discussion sounded familiar to me  - I thought we had discussed it here before and did find it included in this thread related to the Nativiy Movie a couple years ago. Don't know if you remember that discussion, but there are some interesting resources mentioned there. Has something specific come up that has you comtemplating this again, Jenn? Wish there was something definitive to fall back on.
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Mary M. in Denver
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JennGM
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MaryM wrote:
| This discussion sounded familiar to me - I thought we had discussed it here before and did find it included in this thread related to the Nativiy Movie a couple years ago. Don't know if you remember that discussion, but there are some interesting resources mentioned there. Has something specific come up that has you comtemplating this again, Jenn? Wish there was something definitive to fall back on. |
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Three years really does something to my brain, doesn't it? It's mainly a question of what the Church teaches on the childbirth. Is it okay to portray it as typical childbirth with pain.
My dh ended up buying that Nativity movie. I didn't like those scenes mentioned in the other thread, but he really liked the movie.
And now I bought a book I'm so excited about -- based on St. Joseph's perspective of the nativity story, Fear Not, Joseph by Julie Stiegemeyer. It's so wonderful, except the part about the childbirth. It's not graphic, it's just not what I believe that happened on Christmas night.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Birth of Jesus
