Revealing the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The three Marys
Mosaic in the church in Lourdes, from left to right:
the apostle John, Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene embracing Jesus’ feet, Mary the sister of Mother Mary
Who is the other Mary mentioned only by Matthew?
MT 27:61 But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.
MT 28:1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

To find out, let us analyze this table:
Perpetual Virginity Table
From the table above, it is very clear that the other Mary is the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses.
But how do we know if the other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary?  That will be the next question:
 Is the other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, one and the same Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ?
No.  The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary on account of these irrefutable proofs:
1. Before the death of Jesus, the Virgin Mary is allowed to be near her crucified Son and she is joined by the other two Marys: her sister Mary and Mary Magdalene:
JN 19:25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
After the death of Jesus, the other two Marys are dispersed and watched the proceedings from a distance (cf MT 27:56; MK 15:40; LK 24:10), while the Virgin Mary is brought home by the disciple whom Jesus loved:
JN 19:27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Thus, the other two Marys that are left behind watching the burial from a distance are Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas, the sister of the Virgin Mary, which the four Evangelists described in a diverse manner to picture her more thoroughly and extensively (see also table above):
Matthew called Mary the wife of Clopas as: The other Mary (MT 27:61, 28:1); and, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (MT 27:56).
Mark called Mary the wife of Clopas as: Mary the mother of Joses (MK 15:47); Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses (MK 15:40); and, Mary, the mother of James (MK 16:1).
Luke called Mary the wife of Clopas as: Mary the mother of James (LK 24:10).
John called Mary the wife of Clopas as: His (Jesus’) mother’s sister (JN 19:25).
Ergo, the other Mary, the wife of Clopas who is one and the same Mary the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, but rather, she is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus Christ:
JN 19:25 So that is what they did.  Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, Mary, his aunt, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.  (The Living Bible by Tyndale)
And the sons of the other Mary (James and Joseph aka Joses) are the nephews of the Virgin Mary and thusly, the cousins of Jesus who were called His brothers according to the Hebraic custom of calling their relatives as brothers:
MT 13:55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
MK 6:3 Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Paul expounds on the Jewish practice of calling their relatives as their brothers:
ROM 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.
Thence, Jesus’ brothers James, Joseph aka Joses, Simon, and Judas are actually His cousins, that is, His kin according to the flesh.
2. Of all the four sacred Evangelists, only John mentioned the mother of Jesus during the Deicide because he is the only eyewitness and ear-witness of the passion of the Christ up close according to his own testimony:
JN 19:35 An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may (come to) believe.
The three authors of the Synoptic Gospel never mentioned the Virgin Mary in their narrative of the passion as theirs were secondhand account.
Matthew mentioned only Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses (cf MT 27:56, 61, 28:1).
Mark mentioned only Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses (cf MK 15:40, 47, 16:1).
Luke mentioned only Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James (cf LK 24:10).
If the three authors of the Synoptic Gospel never mentioned the Virgin Mary in their narrative of the passion, then, the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, but rather, she is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus (cf JN 19:25).
 3. If the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is the Virgin Mary the mother of Jesus, then why would the three authors of the Synoptic Gospel identify her as such instead of identifying her correctly as Mary, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus?
Ergo, the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, but rather, she is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus (cf JN 19:25).
 4. Only Matthew and Luke positively identified the Virgin Mary by her name as the mother of Jesus and with due reverence.
The Virgin Mary as described by Matthew:
MT 1:16 Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.
MT 1:18 Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.
MT 1:20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.
MT 2:10-11 They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew’s narration of other people’s mentioning of Mary:
MT 13:55 Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?
The Virgin Mary as described by Luke:
LK 1:26-27  In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
LK 1:30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
LK 1:34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
LK 1:38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
LK 1:39-40 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
LK 1:41-42 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
LK 1:46-49 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.  The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
LK 1:56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
LK 2:4-5 And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
LK 2:16 So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
LK 2:19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
LK 2:33-34 The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted.
The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, was never identified positively as the mother of Jesus by any of the inspired authors of the New Testament.
Ergo, the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, but rather, she is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus (cf JN 19:25).
 5. Both Mark and John never mentioned the Virgin Mary by name as their sign of respect to the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Virgin Mary as described by Mark:
MK 3:31 His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
Mark’s narration of other people’s mentioning of Mary:
MK 6:3 “Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
The Virgin Mary as described by John:
JN 2:1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
JN 2:3 When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
JN 2:5 His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”
JN 2:12 After this, he and his mother, (his) brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.
JN 19:25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
JN 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
JN 19:27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Thus, the Marys mentioned by their name by Mark and John was not the Virgin Mary but the other Marys (namely: Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cf MK 15:40,47, 16:1, 9, 11:1, 2,19, 20, 28, 31, 32, 45; JN 12:3, 19:25, 20:1, 11, 16, 18).
Ergo, the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, but rather, she is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus (cf JN 19:25).
 6. The other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, is not the Virgin Mary, as she was treated as someone unimportant by the three authors of the Synoptic Gospels in their respective accounts of the deposition, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
 A little prologue by John:
JN 19:25-30 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I thirst.”  There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.  When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
After Jesus died, the Roman soldiers dispersed the onlookers from the crucifixion site as the executioners busied themselves insuring that all three condemned men on their respective crosses are dead before the onset of the Sabbath.  Apparently, the Virgin Mary and the beloved disciple were allowed to stay close to Jesus’ lifeless body as per this testimony of John:
JN 19:31-35 Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.  But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.  An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may (come to) believe.
From there we proceed to the trifling accounts of the other Mary during the deposition, burial, and resurrection of Jesus by the three authors of the Synoptic Gospels.
 According to Matthew:
MT 27:50 But Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit.
MT 27:55-56 There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.  Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
MT 27:59-61 Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it (in) clean linen and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.  But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.
MT 28:1-10 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.  His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow.  The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.  Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.  He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”  Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.  And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
 According to Mark:
MK 15:37 Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
MK 15:40-41 There were also women looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joses, and Salome.  These women had followed him when he was in Galilee and ministered to him. There were also many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.
Mk 15:46-47 Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.
MK 16:1-8 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.  Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb.  They were saying to one another, “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”  When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back; it was very large.  On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed.  He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.  But go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.'”  Then they went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
 According to Luke:
LK 23:46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last.
LK 23:48-49 When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.
LK 23:53-56 After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.  It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin.  The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it,  they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
Lk 24:1-11 But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.  They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead?  He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”  And they remembered his words.  Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others.  The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.
From the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, the following information are gleaned that proves she is not the Virgin Mary, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus:
a. As per John’s account, Jesus entrusted Mary His mother to him before He died and he testified that they witnessed the piercing of His side with a soldier’s lance.  By that time, Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas were already dispelled from the foot of the cross and they watched the happenings from a distance as testified by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
As already discussed in section 1 above, Mary the wife of Clopas was irreverently called the other Mary and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses by the three authors of the Synoptic Gospels, thus proving she is not the Virgin Mary.
b. Matthew, Mark and Luke are unanimous in mentioning first the name of Mary Magdalene, thereby giving her importance and preference over the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses.
As mentioned earlier, all four Evangelists always allude to the Virgin Mary with deference, thus proving the Virgin Mary is not the other Mary whom they treated with a marked indifference.
c. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, are left behind watching the burial of Jesus from a distance.
If the other Mary is the Virgin Mary, then the beloved disciple should have been mentioned also beside her as she was entrusted to him as her caretaker.
d. After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb and they took with them the spices and perfumed oils they prepared to anoint and cleanse the badly mutilated corpus of Jesus which was buried and left unprepared right after the deposition of His body from the cross due to time constraint brought about by the advent of the Sabbath that begins on the dusk of Friday.
It is very highly improbable that the aggrieved Virgin Mary would do the menial work of an undertaker and beside, the beloved disciple who looks after her won’t allow her to roam in the hostile territory without him escorting her.
e. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because she and Mary Magdalene are terrified with the angels which they encountered at the tomb of Jesus (cf MT 28:1-8; MK 16:1-8; LK 24:1-5), whereas the Virgin Mary was never afraid of the angel Gabriel when he appeared to her directly from God in Heaven and they even have a spirited discussion (cf LK 1:26-38).
In fact, Mary is troubled not at the sudden appearance of the angel Gabriel, but of his salutation to her.
f. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because she and Mary Magdalene are dispatched on an errand by the angel at the tomb of Jesus (cf MT 28:7; MK 16:7), whereas the Virgin Mary was accorded with the highest respect and salutation given to a creature by God through the angel Gabriel:
LK 1:26-30 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’ s name was Mary.  And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.  And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.  (Douay Rheims Version)
g. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because when she and Mary Magdalene meet Jesus on their way, they approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage (cf MT 28:9), whereas if it was the Virgin Mary who meets the resurrected Jesus, they would have embraced one another as a reunited mother and Son who come back to life should normally do.
h. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because she and Mary Magdalene are sent on a task by Jesus (cf MT 28:10), whereas if she was the Virgin Mary, Jesus would not order her mother around as He honor her according to His own words and Paul’s:
MT 15:4 “For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’”
MK 10:19 “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.'”
MT 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.”
Eph 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents (in the Lord), for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise.
i. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because she and Mary Magdalene forgot what Jesus said that He must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day (cf Lk 24:6-8), whereas if she was the Virgin Mary she would not forget a single word regarding her Son Jesus Christ on account of the following:
LK 1:30-35 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”  And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
LK 2:33-35 The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
LK 2:19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
LK 2:51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
j. The other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses, cannot be the Virgin Mary because her story and that of Mary Magdalene are incredible to the Apostles (cf LK 24:9-11), whereas if she was the Virgin Mary the Apostles would have believed her story outright for was it not for her that they began to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in His first public miracle at the wedding feast at Cana which He wrought through the intercession of His beloved mother Mary (cf JN 2:1-11)?
+++
Therefore, beyond reasonable doubt, the other Mary (the wife of Clopas and the mother of James and Joseph aka Joses) is not the Virgin Mary (the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus Christ), but rather, the other Mary is the sister of the Virgin Mary and the aunt of Jesus Christ (cf JN 19:25).
Therefore, the sons of the other Mary, namely, James, Joseph aka Joses, Simon and Judas are not the sons of the Virgin Mary, but rather, they are the nephews of the Virgin Mary and the cousins of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is incontrovertibly a truth of God.