The All Holy, Ever-Virgin Mary, the Theotokos as the “New Eve”
“As Eve was swayed by the word of an angel and abandoned God, transgressing His word - Mary received the good tidings by the angel’s word and bore God within her, being obedient to His Word.
Whereas the one was disobedient to God, the other accepted to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the mediator for the virgin Eve.
By a virgin the human race had been bound to death, by a virgin it was saved, the balance being preserved: a virgin’s disobedience counterbalanced with a virgin’s obedience….and so the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary, for what Eve tied by disbelief, Mary united by faith.”
Reflection:
As we approach the Fast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Aug 1-15), we turn our focus to the Ever-Virgin Mary, her role in our lives as intercessor, the Mother of God, as well as her example for us of freely choosing God’s will. To understand the Theotokos is to understand the Mystery of the Church.
Those, on the other hand, who misunderstand the Theotokos, and who distort or ignore her role and significance, fundamentally misunderstand and distort the Christian Faith as a whole. To understand our Faith, we need all three - Scripture, theology, and the worship of the Church need to be seen as an organic, integral whole, like a living organism composed of parts.(1)
The more we study the Theotokos; her life, the scripture concerning her, the hymnology and prayers in our services that make reference to her, the more we grow closer to and enter into a deeper relationship with her son and our God Jesus Christ.
When we pray for her intercessions, we affirm Christ’s saving Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection.(2) The first Eve came forth from Adams body(3), whereas Christ, the new and final Adam, came forth from the Virgin Mary (the new Eve)(4). Through the Virgin Mary’s free choice to follow God’s will(5), humanity was reunited with God and salvation came to the world. Christ is our salvation, the closer we unite ourselves to Him, the more clearly revealed is the role of His mother in our lives.
Let us pray for help by the intercessions of the Theotokos every day and especially during the 15 days of August during the Paraklesis (Supplication) services for God’s help in our lives. So that by the example of the Theotokos and her prayers, we may learn how to freely align our will with God's, just as we pray the in Lord's prayer, "Thy will be done".
Resources:
2) St John of Shanghai and San Francisco once asked, “If God the Father chose her, God the Holy Spirit descended upon her, and God the Son dwelt in her, submitted to her in the days of His youth, was concerned for her when hanging on the cross: then should not everyone who confesses the Holy Trinity venerate her?”
4) Nativity Story Luke 2:1-20
5) Annunciation Luke 1:26
