BVM Series | Blessed Virgin Mary : Our New Eve, Second Eve

Eve returned to dust; Mary was taken to Heaven.

The Church considers St. Mary, as ‘the mother of all the living’, calls her as the ‘Mother of God’, ‘Mother of all believers’ and picturizes her as the ‘Second Eve’.

Eve of the Garden of Eden was the mother of mankind in flesh; Virgin Mary of Nazareth is the Second Eve because she is the spiritual Mother of all of us, being the Mother of the Savior, who gave us new life. St. Augustine said, “The Word is joined to flesh; the Word is wedded to flesh, and the bridal chamber of this exalted marriage is your womb”.

Eve called Mother of the human race, became the cause of death to men; but Mary, Mother of Salvation, became the cause of life. St. Irenaeus wrote “Just as Eve, while wife of Adam was still a virgin and became by her disobedience the cause of death of herself and of the whole human race; so Mary too, espoused yet a virgin, became by her obedience the cause of salvation of both herself and the whole human race”.

Virgin Mary corrected Eve’s disobedience, untied knot of Eve’s disobedience to become the New Eve or Second Eve. Eve is treated as the type who foreshadowed the arrival blessed Virgin Mary.

Eve was accosted by Satan; spoke to surreptitious fallen angel the devil; but Mary met and spoke to the loyal angel of light, Angel Gabriel. Satan told Eve will become like God, she connived with devil, aiming to become equal to God and attracted God’s wrath. Angel Gabriel announced that Mary will conceive the Son of God, she without passion for self, submitted herself as a mere slave of God to become a source of great blessing, to whole humanity. The serpent filled the ears of Eve and spread the poison over the whole body and became instrument of death; angel Gabriel, the champion of eternal happiness, filled Mary’s ears, with good tidings and became an instrument of life. St. Cyril of Jerusalem acclaims “Since through Eve, a virgin, came death, and from a Virgin, should life appear; that, as the Serpent had deceived the one, so to the other Gabriel might bring good tidings.”

The word of the devil crept, into first Eve, a virgin, to erect an edifice of death; the Word of God was introduced to Mary, a virgin, to set up a structure of life. Eve believed the serpent, succumbed to Satan thus ignored and disobeyed God; Mary believed Gabriel, submitted completely obeying to the will of God. Eve shared the guile and defilement of the devil but Mary shared the glory of the Creator. Eve had disobeyed God, but Mary was persuaded to obey God. Through Eve, crept the framer of death, thus loosing the image and likeness of God; God recovered His image and likeness, through Mary. St. Justine the Martyr said, “The Son of God became man through the Virgin, that the disobedience caused by the serpent might be destroyed in the same way it had originated”.

Death and fall came through Eve, through pride; Life and redemption came through Mary through humility. Eve forfeited privileges by sin; Mary earned privileges by the fruits of grace.

Eve was disobedient and unbelieving; Mary was obedient and believing. Eve’s disobedience resulted in the fall into sin of the entire human race. The result was death, physically and spiritually. Mary’s obedience to God resulted in the offer of the gift of salvation to the entire human race. The result was eternal life. For what the Virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosened through faith.

Eve was a cause of ruin to all; Mary was a cause of salvation to all. Eve made room for Adam’s fall; Mary made room for our Lord’s reparation of it. Eve effected a great evil; Mary effected a much greater good.

What the first mother Eve lost by disobedience; Mary regained by her unconditional obedience. Through Eve Paradise was lost but through Mary Paradise was regained. The ‘golden mouth’ of St. John Chrysostom preaches that, “A virgin expelled us from Paradise; through a Virgin we found eternal life. Through a virgin we were condemned; and through a Virgin we were crowned.”

Eve is the first mother who lost the grace, by greed and lust but Mary by grace and self-abnegation reinstated what was lost.

Eve inherited curse but Mary inherited eternal blessedness. Eve as a consequence of sin brought pain, groaning, suffering, death and decay; but Mary brought forth the Redeemer who wiped away all the effects of sin, bringing grace, glory and life.

Eve conceived in sin a humanity that was doomed to death, due to sin but Mary conceived the Holy Spirit and gave birth to life through Christ, who liberated the humanity from the bondage of sin and Satan.

The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. Devil stripped off the glory and immortality and brought shame on humanity through Eve; but through Mary came honor, life and Redeemer.

Eve gave her body and soul leading the humanity to the bondage of Satan, but Mary loaned her flesh and blood to God leading the humanity to glory and life.

Eve, the first woman helpmate brought a debt upon Adam; Mary paid off that debt today by delivering the Redeemer. St. Ephrem sang “Through Eve, the beautiful and desirable glory of men was extinguished; but it has revived through Mary.”.”

Firstborn of Eve was a man child, became a sinner; Firstborn of Blessed Virgin Mary was a God child, our Savior.

Sweekaram nedi Daivathinmaathaavaa…….

Chosen Virgin best, O thou God’ Mother blest,
Who didst root out all, Earth’s great curse -0 the fall;
Pray the Son sight well, that peace and calm may dwell
In the Church of God, and through earth’s sod – Barekmor