WHILE I am certainly no liturgical expert, I would like to respectfully disagree with, or attempt to allay, one of Elizabeth Harrington’s concerns regarding the new prayers in the Mass for the feast of Mary the Mother of God (Liturgy Lines, CL 25/12/11).
From the phrase “For by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she conceived your Only Begotten Son, and without losing the glory of virginity, brought forth into the world the eternal Light”, Elizabeth raised her concern and asks “Is the married state not glorious?”
I would suggest that the act of praising Mary’s virginity does not by that act result in a degradation of the married state.
Rather, there is another alternative which is that in both celibacy and marriage there are glories to be found and each can be praised separately without affecting the status of the other.
For in both celibate and married life the virtue of chastity can be practised which gives glory to God.
ANDREW THOMAS
Maryborough, Qld
