Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us!" (Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10)
Isaiah was written approximately 740–701 B.C. That’s about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. That’s like my birth being prophesized in 1250 A.D., the beginning of the late Middle Ages when Innocent IV was Pope. He saw himself as the Vicar of Christ whose power was above earthly kings. Innocent had no objection to intervening in purely secular matters. Time does fly.
It appears a bit strange to speak of the virgin birth while so deep into Lent. Then again today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. I now provide two accounts of the Virgin birth.
According to Wikipedia referencing Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible: (begin) Isaiah 7:14 is a verse in the seventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah in which the prophet Isaiah, addressing king Ahaz of Judah, promises that God will destroy the king's enemies before a child born to an almah is weaned.
The Hebrew word עַלְמָה ‘almāh translates into English as "young woman," although it is translated in the Koine Greek Septuagint as παρθένος parthenos, meaning virgin, and was subsequently picked up by the gospels of Matthew and Luke and used as a messianic prophecy; the prophecy is therefore understood by Christians to refer to the Virgin birth of Jesus.
Biblical scholars agree that the word "almah" means a young woman of childbearing age rather than a virgin. Most English translations of the Bible use "virgin" with some exceptions, such as in the Revised Standard Version where "young woman" is used; as such, Isaiah 7:14 continues to be one of the most controversial Bible verses. (end)
According to our Catholic Catechism:
496 From the first formulations of her faith, the Church has confessed that Jesus was conceived solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, affirming also the corporeal aspect of this event: Jesus was conceived "by the Holy Spirit without human seed." The Fathers see in the virginal conception the sign that it truly was the Son of God who came in a humanity like our own. Thus St. Ignatius of Antioch at the beginning of the second century says: You are firmly convinced about our Lord, who is truly of the race of David according to the flesh, Son of God according to the will and power of God, truly born of a virgin, … he was truly nailed to a tree for us in his flesh under Pontius Pilate … he truly suffered, as he is also truly risen.
497 The Gospel accounts understand the virginal conception of Jesus as a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility: "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit," said the angel to Joseph about Mary his fiancee. The Church sees here the fulfillment of the divine promise given through the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son."
498 People are sometimes troubled by the silence of St. Mark's Gospel and the New Testament Epistles about Jesus' virginal conception. Some might wonder if we were merely dealing with legends or theological constructs not claiming to be history. To this we must respond: Faith in the virginal conception of Jesus met with the lively opposition, mockery or incomprehension of non-believers, Jews and pagans alike; so it could hardly have been motivated by pagan mythology or by some adaptation to the ideas of the age. The meaning of this event is accessible only to faith, which understands in it the "connection of these mysteries with one another" in the totality of Christ's mysteries, from his Incarnation to his Passover (my emphasis). St. Ignatius of Antioch already bears witness to this connection: "Mary's virginity and giving birth, and even the Lord's death escaped the notice of the prince of this world: these three mysteries worthy of proclamation were accomplished in God's silence."
I and many others conclude Christianity is the greatest story ever told. For this reason, we lovers of stories find Christianity so compelling. To repeat Bishop Robert Barron’s insightful conclusion: “Christianity is not a philosophy; it’s not an abstract set of ideas; and it’s not a program. It is about a relationship with Jesus; it’s a friendship with the Lord; it’s an encounter with him; it’s a living relationship with him.” Through faith and friendships we are connected with one another in the totality of Christ's mysteries we all share as Catholic Christians. We conclude, "God is with us!"
Deacon David Pierce
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