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Q&A Home > S > St. Mary My questions are about 2 verses that seem to contradict each other in the Thursday Theotokia. The verses are:
Thursday Theotokia (5)
“For He who was born is God, born without pain from the Father, and He was also born according to the flesh, without pain for the Virgin.”
Thursday Theotokia (9)
“Upon her head was a crown of twelve stars, she being with a child cried out in labor, and in pain to give birth”
Please explain this? How can in one verse we say that the birth of Christ was painless, but a few verses later, we say that St. Mary cried out in labor and was in pain during the birth of Christ?
The Early Church Fathers say that the Theotokos gave birth to Christ without the pains of childbirth:
St. Irenaeus Commentary on Isaiah 66:7, "where the prophet foretells a remarkable repopulation of Jerusalem through Mother Zion and interprets it as spoken of the Virgin Mary who gave birth to a man child in unique fashion, without birth pangs. Also concerning His birth, the same prophet (Isaiah) says in another place: Before she who was in labour brought forth, and before pains of labour came, there came forth delivered a man child. He proclaimed this unlooked - for an extraordinary childbirth of the Virgin, thus affirming her virginity."
St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Song of Songs 13 As the Son has been given to us without a father, so the Child has been born without a birth. As the Virgin herself did not know how the body that received divinity was formed in her own body, so neither did she notice the birth. Even the prophet Isaiah affirms that her giving birth was without pain, when he says: Before the pangs of birth arrived, a male child came forth and was born (Isaiah 66:7). Just as she who introduced death into nature by her sin was condemned to bear children in suffering and travail, it was necessary that the Mother of life, after having conceived in joy, should give birth in joy as well. No wonder that the angel said to her, Rejoice, O full of grace! (Luke 1:28). With these words he took from her the burden of that sorrow which, from the beginning of creation, has been imposed on birth because of sin.
St. Ephraim the Syrian: Explanations 2:6,8 "Just as (the Lord) made His entrance when the doors were closed, in the same way did He come forth from the Virgins womb, because this virgin really and truly gave birth without pain.... Her virginity remained safe and sound."
St. Augustine Sermon on Nativity In conceiving you were all pure, in giving birth you were without pain.
XXIX. ---- OF THE HOLY SEVERUS FROM THE 63rd LETTER OF THE 2nd BOOK OF THOSE WRITTEN DURING EPISCOPACY, TO ANTONINUS BISHOP OF BERRHOEA 213. [513-8.] But we hear of the said Mara that he said this also as well, that the holy Virgin did not feel the birth, in manifest opposition to the Holy Spirit and to the Scriptures which were spoken by him. The loud-voiced among prophets, Isaiah, shows that he came forth from the bond of virginity like anything else, and he was ineffably born without rending her from Mary the God-bearer, saying thus, Before she that travailed bare, and before the |89 pain of the travail came, she escaped and bare a male child 214. The fact that she escaped shows that the birth took place with perception on the part of her who gave birth, and not in phantasy 215. So Gregory the Theologian also in the sermon about Easter says of the birth of the babe when it is born: But she also cried 216 from the compulsion of the virgin and maternal bonds, with great power, when a male child was born from the prophetess, as Isaiah announces 217. How could the fact that she cried from the compulsion and did not rend the bond of virginity happen without perception, and not with such great perception as this oh the part of her who bare? And these things took place ineffably and beyond everything. He who wished to come truly in all our attributes, and to be made like to us his brethren without sin, was . certainly born in fleshly fashion by a manifest and true birth, causing perception in her who bare, free from all pain and suffering; for the prophet proclaims that she gave birth before the pain of the travail came. For how was she to be subjected to the trial of pains and anguish, who put an end to the bearing of children in anguish through the fact that joy was born for the whole race of men? For, Lo!, he says, I announce unto you great |90 joy, that is to all the people, that there hath been born to you to-day a Saviour, who is the Lord Christ 218.
Apocryphal Writings Odes of Solomon: "According to the Odes of Solomon, she travailed and brought forth a son without incurring pain."
As for this verse, Upon her head was a crown of twelve stars, she being with a child cried out in labor, and in pain to give birth, the woman here can represent St. Mary or the church. The pain here is not the pain of labor but that pain that she went through seeing the sufferings of her Son in His war with the dragon (Satan) as Simeon the elder told her that a sword will pierce her heart.
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