The Biblical Doctrine of Virginity

Description

167 pages ; 21 cm
Includes bibliographical references and indexes
The prophecy of final doom -- Virginity and the kingdom -- Virginity and the cross -- Virginity as an apotheosis -- Virginity and Liberty -- Virginity and charity -- Viginal fecundity
M.E.P. = Société des Mission Étrangères de Paris (order to which Fr. Legrand belonged)

cited in Noonan's Contraception p. 32 (PDF p. 43) n. 8

Selin ref:7.135 shows that Legrand promoted the "eschatological notion of celibacy" in a 1961 article. "It was through the efforts of theologians such as Legrand that a more profound theology was formed from which the bishops and their periti would draw at the Second Vatican Council.", which is a sort of outline of this:

Legrand, Lucien, M.E.P., “The Prophetical Meaning of Celibacy,” Review for Religious 20 (1961): 330–46.

Makes some interesting parallels re: escatological significance of celibacy/virginity (cf. Selin ref:9.146 ff.):

pp.

• 26: Jeremias (Jer. 16:1-4: "…Do not take a wife…") / St. Paul (1 Cor. 7:29: "…the time is short…")
  St. Thomas makes this comparison, too (In Jeremiam cap. 16 l. 1): "Primo interdicit sibi consortium matrimonialis conjugii, ponens jussionem: non accipies uxorem. 1 Cor. 7: solutus est ab uxore? Noli quaerere uxorem." {"First, he forbids association by marriage, and issues the command: you shall not take a wife. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife (1 Cor 7:27)."}
• 33-3: The Parousia's immenence in 1 Cor. 7:29 "is rather immaterial and irrelevant"; "even if chronologically it may be stil distant, theologically it is imminent". cf. Enchiridion Biblicum 432-434, pp. 122-3 (PDF pp. 138-9): The Parusia in the Letters of St. Paul
• 30: Allo, O.P., and other 1 Cor. 7 commentators cited: "Cornely, Lemonnier, Allo, Callan, W. Rees, Osty, etc."; fn.2: A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, W. Rees on 1 Cor. 7:29-32a ("they also who have wives be as if they had none"): ref:169.75: "An unmarried person is better able to bear persecution, private or public."
• 44: Adults must like little children / marrieds must be like virgins (Dupont on Mt. 19:10-26: relation between "expedient not to marry" / Jesus on being childlike / rich young man poverty)
• 48 fn.2 cites Virgines Christi by Camelot, O.P.

ch. 3 "Virginity and the Cross"

• 53 ff.: discusses the inclusion of "wife" in Lk. 18:29b-30, which is not in the other synoptics. St. Luke is more "absolutist".
• 55: "…the verb μισεῖν (to hate) [Lk. 14:26: odit] in the sense of not preferring." Despicere?
• 58: St. Luke certainly didn't advocate putting away one's wife, because this is contrary to his teacher St. Paul's 1 Cor. 7:10ff.,17,27, so 1 Cor. 9:5's αδελφήν γυναίκα (mulierem sororem) might refer to the wives of the Apostles who later accompanied them on their apostolic missions. Allo hesitates.

ch. 5 "Virginity and Liberty" has a very good discussion on "divisus est " (1 Cor. 7:34).

• 91: "Ecstasy and deliverance from the material world were not Paul's ideal." St. Paul did not advocate an escapism, dualism (spirit doesn't need liberation from "evil" matter), but argued that marriage is a thing of the world
• 98: Marriage for St. Paul "entails compromises with the world". As St. Thomas wrote, marriage is the least sacrament "because it has less participation in the nature of the spiritual life" ("minus participat de ratione spiritualis vitæ ", III q. 65 a. 1).
• 101: "'To please the Lord' [1 Cor. 7:32] does…mean…to comfort and console the Heart of Jesus". (cf. "Why does St. Paul say that a husband is “divided” between his wife and God?")
• 102: quotes famous spiritual marriage passage of St. Paul:
  2 Cor. 11:2 (Allo, O.P. PDF p. 357-8): "For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

ch. 7 "Virginal Fecundity"

• 121: virgin womb / (Joseph of Arimathea's) virgin tomb parallel: "In the tomb as in the Virgin's womb, it was the πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν [1 Cor. 15:45: ' spiritum vivificantem'] inaugurating the καινῇ κτίσις [2 Cor. 5:17: ' nova creatura']." (Lk. 23:53: a tomb "wherein never yet any man had been laid")

His passing through the sealed tomb after He resurrected is analogous to His miraculous virginal birth (virgo in partu), which didn't break Our Lady's bodily integrity.
(He didn't break or roll back the stone; an angel did: Mt. 28:2: "an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and coming rolled back the stone"; it was sealed: Mt. 27:66 "they departing, made the sepulchre sure, sealing [signantes] the stone and setting guards."; Song 4:12: "My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed [conclusus], a fountain sealed up [signatus].")

The owner of the tomb was also named Joseph (like Our Lady's guardian & spouse) of Arimathea (where, as St. Thomas commentates ref:36.146, Samuel, the only child of the barren Hannah, whose canticle is called the "Magnificat of the Old Testament" 1 Sam. / 1 Kings 2, was born)!

• 124: Magnificat / Hannah (Samuel's mother) parallels. Lk. 1:48 ταπείνωσιν (humilitatem) is the strongest Greek word for depression/vileness/lowliness; Elizabeth uses the less strong όνειδός (opprobrium , disgrace, reproach) to refer to her sterility (Lk. 1:25).

Magnificat (Lk. 1)
| Hannah (1 Sam.)

---|---
46: My soul doth magnify the Lord.
| 2:1: My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation.

48: he hath regarded the humility (ταπείνωσιν, humilitatem) of his handmaid

| 1:11: thou wilt behold the affliction (ταπείνωσιν, afflictionem) of thy servant
(DRC doesn't have "affliction".)

52: He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble.
(cf. Ps. 109:1: "…make thy enemies thy footstool.") | 2:6: The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell, and bringeth back again.

53: He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
| 2:7: The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth:

cf. the article on 1 & 2 Kings (1 & 2 Samuel) by H. McKay, O.F.M., in A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (ref:68.5):

§ f 2:1–10 Anna’s Hymn of Thankgiving —This is sometimes called ‘the Magnificat of the OT’. Both Mary’s song and Anna’s canticle are poetry and prophecy. St Luke’s narrative (Lk 1:46–55) shows how deeply Anna’s words had affected our Lady’s mind. But when they pass through her soul, they catch something of the fragrance of her personality and are clothed with her own quiet restraint and selfless humility. In the present context, the leading idea seems to be the praise of Yahweh who has given deliverance to Anna. The proud and boastful must be silent before him, for he weighs all their thoughts and actions. In his sovereign government of the world he can reverse the positions of weak and strong, mighty and lowly. This great moral principle of his rule will receive its complete fulfilment in the judgement of the world and the exaltation of Yahweh’s anointed King.

Conclusion

• Despite the author doubting whether Our Lady took a vow of virginity or not (p. 21n1), he agrees here (like St. Augustine's De virginitate) that virginity = humility, akin to the spiritual value of poverty.