Dear Sandy:

No, the Blessed Mother had only one child -- Jesus.

The references to the "brothers" of Christ is an unfortunate result of translation. In the Greek there is no word for "cousins." Thus "brothers" can mean cousins or it can mean blood brother.

We know that these references do not mean blood brother because the constant teaching of the Church from the first century has affirmed that Mary did not have other children.

The proof of this in found in the Crucifixion itself. While on the Cross Jesus gave the care of his mother to the Apostle John (who was not his brother). If Jesus had brothers this act would have been a offense and scandal in the Hebrew community and in the family.

The Hebrew tradition, and I think the law, was that if the husband dies without having brothers, the care of the mother falls to the eldest son. If the eldest son dies, the care of the mother falls to the next eldest son.  Jesus would not have caused scandal by giving care of his mother to St. John if he had brothers. This is rather definitive proof from the Scripture that Jesus had no brothers.

There is also a theological reason why Mary could not have had other children.

The basis of all the Marian Doctrines goes back to the Old Testament where we learn about the nature of the sacred.

I am not going going to give the whole analysis here in this forum because it would be too long, but I am working on an essay that will go into the details.

Anyway, from the Old Testament we learn that when God sets aside something as sacred and imprints it with His own hand (such as the Ark of the Covenant) it must be made of the purest materials, unblemished, untouched, and never used for non-sacred purposes either before, during, or after its purpose for being. What is once touched by God in this way must remain pure forever.

We learn these notions from such passages in the Old Testament as the story of the soldier who saw that the Ark of the Covenant was about to fall into the mud. He reached out and grabbed the Ark to prevent it from such a fate. Despite the fact that he was well-intentioned, he was struck dead on the spot. Why? Because he touched the Holy Ark without having consecrated hands to do so.

Again in the Old Testament we see this notion of pure sacredness. In the Holy of Holies where dwelt the Ark of the Covenant no one could enter except the High Priest once a year. A rope was tied to the ankles of the High Priest before he entered the Holy of Holies. This rope would be used to drag out his body in case he died while in the Holy of Holies. That is how important it is that the Holiest of holy things that God has set his finger upon MUST be kept untouched and undefiled.

Again in the Old Testament we see this theology of the Sacred in the manner of the Old Testament Sacrifice of the lamb. The lamb had to be a lamb, and not a sheep (in other words, pre-sexual so that the lamb was of course virginal), the lamb had to be free of all blemish and pure. Only then could it be used for sacrifice to God.

This is why the Lamb who took away the sins of the world had to be virginal and unblemished (without sin or flaw). Jesus Christ was that Lamb.

Now with this said, we can begin to understand the Marian doctrines. Mary was the ARK OF THE NEW COVENANT. Like the Ark of the Mosaic Covenant she was to hold the very presence of God in the ark of her womb. Thus, that womb HAD TO BE pure, unblemished, untouched.

Mary, therefore, HAD TO BE Immaculately Conceived to be free from the blemish of original sin. She HAD TO live a sinless life (by virtue of being free from the stain of original sin) in order to remain unblemished and pure to be the Ark of God. She HAD TO BE virgin and give virgin birth for the same reason -- as the Ark of God she HAD TO BE unblemished, pure, and untouched.

After the birth of Jesus she HAD TO remain a virgin because of the nature of the holiness and sacredness that God made her womb. Can you imagine let's say, the Chalice of the Blood of our Lord, once it has worn out and cannot be used for the Holy Mass anymore, being used to remove water from the toilet? Such an idea is loathsome. Even though the Chalice is no longer used in Sacred Ministry, it MUST STILL be treated as a Sacred object and if disposed of, disposed of properly.

Although Mary's main mission to give birth to the Savior was over, the sacred vessel of her womb, made holy by the very touch of God, had to remain pure, undefiled, and unblemished. She HAD TO BE perpetually virgin. If she was not then God was lying about the nature of the sacred in the Old Testament.

Finally, Mary HAD TO BE assumed into heaven. We do not know for sure if Mary died and then was assumed or if she was assumed without dying. Either way, the sacred vessel of her womb could not be allowed to decay. She HAD TO BE assumed body and soul into heaven, or otherwise, again, God would have lied in the Old Testament about the nature of the Sacred.

Mary was free from the stain of original sin, but not the "effects" of original sin -- as in the effects of the world. She suffered worldly sufferings, and was subject hot and cold weather, to the evils in the worldly systems and governments, and to the evils of men.

But, she was free from the stain of original sin, a singular grace given to her, that allowed her be made sanctified by the merits of the Cross, in advance of the Cross. We must remember that to God there is no time and space, and thus the Old Testament Saints were saved by the merits of the Cross yet to come, in advance of the Cross. Mary, too, was spared from the stain of original sin by the merits of the Cross yet to come.

Thus, she was able to remain sinless all her life because without the stain of original sin she lacked concupiscence (the thing that gives man the tendency to sin). This is a singular and wondrous grace given by God to Mary because she HAD TO BE this way or God could not used her womb as the most sacred Holy of Holies where His presence would dwell in the Ark of the New Covenant.

I hope this helps a little in understanding this most wonderful grace of God.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary