You know, I'm sure that when anyone touched the "old" Ark of the Covenant mentioned in the Old Testament that they died instantly.
That is one reason that Catholics believe that Mary is "The Ark of the New Covenant and that no one, not even her most chast spouse, St. Joseph, touched her in procreating children.
One does not take lightly the Words from the Creed: We believe.....(soon to be "I believe/Credo"....by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
Catholics bow their heads during that phrase of the Creed during Mass because it is so important; bet you didn't know that, huh?
Because she carried the new Promise of God. Seems simple enough to me.
You know, I'm sure that when anyone touched the "old" Ark of the Covenant mentioned in the Old Testament that they died instantly.
I agree. Yet we have plenty of examples of Mary touching others without them bursting into flames. Clearly she was not the same type of Ark as that which carried the ten commandments, the jar of manna, and Aaron's staff.
That is one reason that Catholics believe that Mary is "The Ark of the New Covenant and that no one, not even her most chast spouse, St. Joseph, touched her in procreating children.
Yes, Catechism 499. But this leaves you with a conundrum: either there were more men and women born of virgin birth, or the Bible is lying - multiple times - when it talks of the brothers and sisters of Jesus (see Matt 12:46, Matt 13:55-56, Mark 3:31, Luke 8:19, John 7:1-10, Acts 1:14 - all four Gospels and the book of Acts).
So did Mary have additional immaculate conceptions? Or did she consummate her marriage to Joseph after the birth of Jesus, as Matthew 1:25 alludes to, meaning she was no longer a virgin?