Lisa says:
Perhaps someone clever could help me with this one[.] I thought that in Genesis, God gave Eve labour pains as a punishment for original sin... If Mary was born without original sin, then, she wouldn't have labour pains... So, why did my church use a bidding prayer that talked about Mary's labour pains?!If I seem to be saying that I'm clever, it's the fault of Lisa's phrasing.
By the same token, Simeon could not have prophesied that "a sword [would] pierce [her] own soul too", neither could Jesus have made expiation for our sins, they not being his to expiate. But I don't think we really have a paradox on our hands.
I expect you're fairly reconciled to the notion
that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.The injustice of life is a long-standing truism anyway. Unless Mary was specifically protected by God, she obviously will have suffered under illness and the like. And - I just browsed my CCC to double-check this part - though sin is a personal act, it does damage beyond the person; to God most obviously, but to mankind in general, thus Mary. On the other hand, it doesn't do to get too used to the idea:
The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel."Still, we know that Jesus himself was tested just as other men are, and took our sins on himself, and this was surely a necessity in the plan of salvation. It would be very surprising therefore, if the Virgin Mary, the most blessed creature of God, but still a creature should somehow become more "aloof" from sin than God himself.
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.And similarly, the works of God are shown in the life of Mary who, though sinless by the grace of God, suffered as the whole of creation does, but remains obedient to our Lord.
Howzat? You wouldn't believe how long that took me to write - my computer kept crashing.
