Mary a sign of victory over the serpent
Is there a way to present the figure of Mary, who discouraged instead of animate.
is indicated absolutely unique as the woman, free from original sin and its tragic consequences - and not because of his merit, but for a singular privilege divine - confirmed in grace, preserved from mistakes, blessed in all his works ... We wonder cos 'has in common with us this wonderful woman?
We, the poor descendants of Adam, forced to endure, without being guilty, the punishment of sin that we committed, we may feel envy against him, but difficult to love. It is too far from our position, is not our traveling companion on the journey of faith that with hard work, walk, do not share us with doubts, uncertainties, temptations and moments of bewilderment in the face to God's will
This image of Jesus' mother - derived from affection than from deep meditation of sacred texts - divide their brothers in faith instead of uniting them, is a source of friction in ecumenical dialogue, especially with Protestants and Orthodox.
The festival now offers us the opportunity to approach the authentic figure of Mary, the one that shines clear in the Gospel accounts, free from scale with a devotion not always sound that has also given rise to several misunderstandings.
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception - defined by Pope Pius IX on 8 December 1854 - has been formulated in a language related to philosophical and theological categories of time, language that the people of the twenty-first century is difficult to understand. If you want to have something to say to us today, we read it in the light of biblical revelation.
God bestows his gifts to inspire people who have been favored in the narcissistic pleasure of feeling privileged, but to give him a mission. Mary was full of grace because we had become full of grace. In her the Lord has made known his kindness because he wanted us to fill every blessing.
It is perfectly placed in this design and all the free gifts that he received from God they have employees that we might attain salvation. Joyfully accepted the word of the Lord and has completed its difficult vocation.
The Gospels remind us of his doubts, his questions, his emotional journey of faith.
Like us, as his son, was tempted, but every moment has been able to say, as Jesus (2 Cor 1.19), always "yes" to God
to internalize the message again today:
You were not different from us, Sister Mary. You are blessed because you believed and you remained faithful.
First reading (Gn 3,9-15.20)
9 But the Lord God called the man and said, "Where are you?". 10 said: "I heard your voice in the garden, I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself."
11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? ".
12 The man said: "The woman whom thou gavest it gave me the tree and I ate." 13 The Lord God said to the woman: "What have you done?". The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
14 Then the Lord God said to the serpent
"Because thou hast done this,
be thou cursed above all cattle
and over all the wild animals;
crawl on your belly
and eat dust
for all day of your life.
15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
between your seed
; and her offspring
will crush your head
and you shall bruise his heel. "
20 The man called his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin . So spoke Pius IX when he formulated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Like all of his time, the pope believed that the story of "original sin" referring to the unfortunate story of two individuals - Mr. and Mrs. Adam Eve - and was convinced that their offense had dramatic consequences their descendants who had been passed.
Bible studies have now established beyond any shadow of a doubt that this passage from Genesis is not an account of something that happened at the beginning of the world, but a page of theology, prepared to respond, with images and mythical language, the most disturbing of the enigmas of man because there is evil in the world? .
It tells the story of a sin of Adam and Eve to some, but explains the dynamics that have always been men come to reject God, to commit evil and to enact their own downfall.
We are not the unfortunate descendants of Adam and Eve - forced to wear the consequences of the sin of their ancestors - but we are the Adam and Eve, placed in front of God and the responsibility for the choices we are called to do in life.
If this is the interpretation of the Genesis account, even the truth of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception requires further consideration and understood in new ways.
God had done all things, the world had gone "good" from his hands. Seven times the author repeats the sacred, like a refrain: "And God saw that it was good" work God has done.
There was harmony between man and God, harmony represented in the book of Genesis exquisite image of God and man walking in the garden of Eden, caressed by the breeze of the evening (Gen 3 , 8)
There was harmony between man and nature: the world was loved, respected and cared for like a garden.
There was harmony between man and woman no domain, no oppression, no selfish manipulation, only the joy of being a gift to each other.
is at this point that - since the beginning of the world - enters the snake who convinces the person to break the limitations imposed by his condition as a creature to put aside the Creator's plan and replace it with its own project, to follow their own whims and cunning, deceiving reach full self-realization and happiness.
Who is the snake? Let's try to decode this mythical figure.
Contrary to what you might think, throughout the Old Testament this mysterious figure disappears. Only time Jews for Jesus, the authors, the influence of Persian and Hellenistic thought, have begun to see the devil in the serpent, but the text of Genesis does not point to this explanation, rather than declaring that the snake is the most cunning of God's creatures
Who can it be?
run over the first two chapters of Genesis, we review the living beings created by God and reach the conclusion: it is man, that he may not be the smartest.
Yes, the serpent is man himself who, seized by an insane delusion of omnipotence, rose up against God, thinking he could replace him, and proclaimed its autonomy in deciding what is good and what is bad.
This temptation of seduce subtly, imperceptibly penetrates, treacherous as a snake, in the minds and hearts of man and leads him to make choices and death.
Sin causes the breakdown of all the harmonies and the song that is being proposed in today's reading presents, with images, the dramatic consequences.
The man who is seduced by the "snake" that is in him ends misplaced.
God seek him, calling him "Where are you?", But can not find it (vv. 8-10), because it is not where it should be.
As a father, the Lord is grieved that the son of evil has been done and is concerned and to recover it, invited him to become aware of what happened.
"Where are you?" Means "Where are you going to end? What have you done with your life? How have you reduced your acting head? ".
Man's response: "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself "(v. 10).
is the rejection of God's presence, no longer regarded as a friend but as an adversary to be avoided, as a tyrant who threatens the independence and taking away our freedom.
Hiding from God means abandoning prayer, lose interest in hearing the word of God, to distance themselves from their own community for not being called into question, not to feel hampered in their choices.
The man is afraid of God because they fear that he will deprive him of happiness. Actually, who comes off he rushes into the abyss of the most complete confusion.
The second consequence of the decision to distance itself from God in the moral choices is expulsion from the brothers (v. 12.16).
Adam accuses Eve, it blames the snake, both of reproach to God for having created a world wrong. It was you - Adam creeps - to put next to a person who, instead of bring me to you, I was distracted from your project. I have trusted you because you had placed me at his side.
Questa reazione rappresenta il tentativo di scaricare le responsabilità del male commesso su capri espiatori che possono essere la famiglia in cui si è nati, la società, l’educazione ricevuta e, in ultima analisi, Dio che ha voluto che l’uomo non potesse realizzarsi che nell’incontro con i propri simili, i quali però spesso, invece di sollevarlo in alto, lo trascinano verso il basso.
La donna, interrogata a sua volta, dà la colpa al serpente e, siccome il serpente non è che l’altra faccia della nostra umanità, le sue parole costituiscono una nuova accusa nei confronti di Dio: Tu hai fatto male le cose creando l’uomo così com’è, able to do follies and crimes. Why did not you act other than perfect? Because in him there is this "snake" insidious injecting deadly poison?
After facing men and women, we would expect that you ask God, the snake, but it does not, because the snake is a creature distinct from man, but it is the human counterpart, the which is opposed to God
The snake - the evil that is man - will always be better?
From our point of view the human condition seems hopeless and Paul described it in dramatic tones: "I can not even understand what I do: it does not do what I want, but what I hate, therefore I no longer do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. In fact, I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want. I am an unlucky! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? "(Rom 7.15-24).
The defeat of man will be so definitive?
the last part of the song (vv. 14-15) God answers that disturbing question.
The struggle between "the snake man will continue until the end of the world, but it is anticipated the results of the comparison.
"The Snake" is said damn, that is free of supernatural power and therefore not compelling, it can be won and in fact it will be.
Using images and effective lives, God will touch ensures that dust, will face a humiliating defeat (Ps. 72.9); crawl on the ground, as they are forced to make the defeated enemies of front of the winner (Ps 72,11); will and crushed his head, though, until the end, it tries to implement his deadly traps, not gets its way.
is the promise of universal salvation.
In light of this reading, the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception of Mary acquires a new meaning clear and stimulating.
is an invitation to turn our gaze to one who, from his conception, has achieved perfect harmony that God had wanted to see the first morning of the world.
is immaculate from conception, that is, in all of its existence.
In her victory over snake was complete because in her the Divine Spirit that animated his son has been able to work its wonders.
is the clearest sign of the triumph of God over evil.
Second reading (Eph 1,3-6.11-12)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.
to be holy and blameless before him in love ,
5 destined to be his sons
through Jesus Christ,
6 according to the purpose of his will.
, to the praise and glory of his grace,
who has given us in the Beloved.
having been predestined according to the plan of him
that all things according to his will,
12 because we were in praise of his glory,
us, we who first hoped in Christ.
The party now is just an invitation to contemplate the Immaculate, to rejoice in the wonders God wants us in her or in some way involved in his luminous story?
answer to this question is the song that we proposed in reading.
is a moving anthem burst forth from the heart of a Christian of Asia Minor, celebrated during the liturgical celebrations of the first century of the community and conservative author of the letter to the Ephesians.
He began with a blessing to God that is no longer called "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," but Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 3).
is blessed because avendoci included in Christ , Has made us partakers of all spiritual blessings .
The blessings promised to the patriarchs were materials. God showed himself gracious to his people when they gave made abundant flocks and herds multiplied, was raising children like olive shoots and made beautiful daughters "columns as the cornerstone" (Psalm 144.12).
Now he fills us with spiritual blessings, that are not in conflict with those materials, but they constitute a new, everlasting supply of goods, of a life that goes beyond the horizons of this world.
After this exclamation of joy, the anthem has, in the first stanza, the plan of love created by God (vv. 4-6). It reveals that God had a surprise for us in Serbia even before the creation of the world: he chose us to be holy and blameless .
This is an unexpected message.
believed that Mary was only holy and immaculate, but Paul assures us that this is the vocation to which we are all called. Even the evil in us is destined to suffer the defeat that was recorded in a total Mary.
This work wonderful the Lord makes destined to be his sons through Jesus Christ .
The fate that awaits all mankind is not, therefore, ruin, but the joy without end, to the praise and glory of his grace .
At this point the song introduces a statement full of meaning and, unfortunately, our translation can not make "the grace that has given us in the Beloved."
The original text uses here the verb meaning greek kharitoo bridge free of any gift. in the Beloved God has filled us free without any merit on our part, of his gifts .
Now, the surprising thing is that this verb is used only once in the Bible. It occurs in the ad that Gabriel addressed Mary: Hail or filled by the God of all his gift, the Lord is with thee (Lk 1:28) .
It was thought that this contained the greeting of the biblical evidence of the fullness of grace of Mary.
is true: Mary in any of the gifts which been filled is lost.
The hymn of the Letter to the Ephesians, however, announced to us the good news: we God has filled all of his gifts and invites us to prepare us to welcome them and let them bear fruit after the example of Mary.
Gospel (Lk 1:26-38)
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God in a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man of the house of David, named Joseph. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee."
34 Then Mary said to the angel: "How is that possible? No husband. "
35 And the angel said: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, on you will overshadow the power of. He will be born therefore called the Son of God 36 See: Elizabeth, your relative, in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren 37 nothing is impossible with God " .
38 Mary said: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord done to me according to your word."
And the angel departed from her.
Many painters have depicted this scene it is almost inevitable that appears, and someone even tried to complete it by using - as have many artists - the legendary traits handed down from the apocryphal gospels.
The emotions stirred by this passage from Luke can help to approach the mystery, as long as you go just beyond that you understand the literary genre used by the evangelist and come to understand the message he wants to communicate.
If it is interpreted in a superficial way, the spell ends soon because questions arise that you do not find an answer or did not make sense. One wonders why not be told where Mary was, what he was doing, what the reasons for its disturbance (was married to have children, you wonder why the notice is motherhood?), which took the angel aspect and how it was introduced in the house of the Virgin, where he had Joseph, because it is not was immediately informed and, above all, because God wanted to complicate the matter much to the point of jeopardizing the integrity of Mary.
Who puts these questions did not understand that we are not facing a true account in detail, but a page of theology written by a biblical scholar at the table very well prepared, deep knowledge of the Old Testament, the oracles of the prophets, images and literary forms used in the Bible.
We will never know if the ad was an event or a verifiable material inner revelation took place in Mary. We will never know how and when Mary became aware of her mission as mother of the Messiah. This affects us, not the evangelist whose premiums instead his readers to understand who is the son of Mary, and what he represented for the history of humanity the moment, in the womb of Mary, has blossomed human life of the Son of God
Having said that we come to the Gospel text.
The setting (vv. 26-27) of the mysterious event of the Incarnation is very realistic. Indication of the place, Nazareth, a tiny village in the Galilee , so insignificant that it is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, inhabited by simple, uneducated. To Philip, who, smitten, declaring his admiration for Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael replied mockingly, "But from Nazareth can never be a good thing?" (Jn 1:46). The entire Galilee region was considered to be a faithless, semipagana, away from the pure religious practice of Judea.
After the mention of the place is introduced to the scene of a virgin married to Joseph of the dynasty of David. Finally, it shows the name of the girl, the one that is known to all: call Mary at Nazareth, which means "the exalted, the one who is high up there." Again, the evangelist, recalling the name, designates as "virgin."
Why such insistence?
Virginity for us is a sign of dignity and reason for pride, but was popular in Israel before the wedding, not after. For a girl was a disgrace to remain a virgin all her life, was a sign of his inability to attract upon himself the eyes of a man. The childless woman was a dead tree that gave no results. After virgin was tied a derogatory connotation, meant: no life, no future, without posterity. In the most dramatic moments in its history, Jerusalem is defeated and humiliated call virgin Sion (Jer 31.4, 14.13), because her life had stopped, was unable to generate.
Mary's virginity should not be understood only in a biological sense - as the church teaches - but particularly in the biblical sense. Luke wants to present it as the Sion virgin who becomes fruitful because her husband, the Lord, full of love.
In his Canticle of Mary will be well aware of her "virginity" when he said: "He looked at the baseness ( the fellas - the greek text says) of his handmaiden" (Lk 1 48).
There is admiration for his moral integrity that the evangelist wants to inspire interest among Christians of his community, but let them contemplate the "big things" in her - poor and devoid of any merit - has worked one who is "Powerful" and "Holy is His name" (Lk 1:49).
Anyone who considers the wonders wrought by the Lord in "his servant" can no longer fall for his own unworthiness, in fact all are called to become, in God's hands, wonders of His grace.
Luke opened his gospel with a diptych, with two ads. In the first painting presented the old and sterile Elizabeth (image of the bride Israel incapable of generating the condition of humanity and no prospects in life). In the second scene introduced a young "virgin" barren personification of Zion , but the womb ready to accept life.
making fruitful the barren Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary, the Lord has shown that there is no condition of death can not be filled with life. Even the hearts arid as the desert, he decided to transform into lush gardens, irrigated by the water of his Spirit, the gardens become forests (Is 32.15).
After examining the two verses introducers, we analyze the central part of the song.
Rejoice, beloved by God, the Lord is with thee (v. 28).
This is the heavenly messenger's greeting to Mary. It is not of formal and friendly people who meet for the first time they usually turn to. Not the same as "Hello, I salute you, O Mary" and is not even the usual "Shalom" is a solemn expression, made with care. Whatever it now attracts some Jewish texts of the Old Testament.
Rejoice is the well-known invitation to joy and jubilation that the prophets have turned to Zion virgin daughter of Zion or - the poorest district of Jerusalem, the most dilapidated, one in which resident immigrants and displaced persons.
to this desperate city Zephaniah and Zechariah announced a message of consolation: " Rejoice, O daughter of Zion, rejoice Israel rejoice with all your heart O daughter of Jerusalem ... The Lord is among you, you will not see the misfortune ... Rejoice, rejoice ... This is your king comes to you "(Zep 3.14 to 18; Zc 9.9 to 10, 2.14).
Echoing these words of God, the heavenly messenger addressed his farewell show not only to Mary as a person but to all Israel, indeed to all humanity, inviting her to enjoy, not to agonize for their own misery and indignity that the Lord is about to come to her.
O beloved of God
If you scroll the Bible, we see that when God speaks to someone, usually calls him by name. In our story the name of Mary is replaced by an epithet: loved by God is the second name given to the Virgin in our story.
Maria was the name by which he was known in Nazareth, Loved by God is the one with which it is known in heaven, is his true identity. This name is given his mission in the world through her, God will make manifest all his love for man.
loved by God is not only the name of heaven of Mary, of humanity.
The Lord is with thee .
When God gives someone a significant and difficult mission, he is seized with fear and tried to escape. Moses to liberate the people, he feels inadequate and fences, and the Lord reassures him: "I am with you" (Exodus 3:12), Joshua is committed to introduce Israel into the Promised Land and God encourages him: "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you" (Ex 1,5.9), Gideon must save his people from the oppressors and the angel: "The Lord is with you" (Judges 6:12).
The role of Mary - virgin and Israel she represents - is the most extraordinary of all those who have been entrusted to the servants of God that preceded it. Gabriel encourages her words well: "The Lord is with thee."
Maria's confusion can unravel the mystery of the angel who is about to take place in her: in her womb, the Almighty is about to assume human form, the Lord is about to enter into our time, the Creator of the universe is about to creature.
The son born of her - says the angel - "great and will be called Son of the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will never end "(vv. 32-33).
Each of these words - which are not a stenographic report, but a theological post-paschal composition, mail from Luke on the lips of an angel - alludes to Old Testament texts.
are a reminder of the prophecy of Isaiah: "A baby is born for us ... and is called wonderful counselor, warrior of God, Head, Prince of Peace. Its principle will be glorious and endless peace in the dynasty of David and his kingdom "(Isaiah 9:5-6) and especially the oracle of Nathan:" I will make great ... I will establish the throne of his kingdom He will be forever ... ... And my son will be your permanent home and your kingdom for ever "(2 Sam 7.12 to 17).
With these references the evangelist wanted to present to his readers the true identity of the son of Mary. Identity difficult to grasp: it has remained hidden from the eyes of the powerful, the rich, the wise and intelligent (Mt 11:25) which are used to judge the value of people with the criteria of this world, not with those of God
Using references to the Scriptures, Luke has exposed his readers to discover that Mary and the disciples have made the light of Easter: Although conceived in total anonymity from a village in Galilee of the Gentiles (Mt 4:15), Jesus was not a child any, the expected Messiah was destined to rule forever. In him were fulfilled the prophecies.
The story continues with Mary's question: "How can this be?".
not ask how we can that happen or will pose no obstacles, wants to know what will be his task as she will have to act so that in the Lord's plans are realized.
Man can not relinquish their own intelligence. Joining God in faith does not require the renunciation never to reasonableness. The "yes" said to God, to be truly human, must be thoughtful and responsible.
Mary is presented by Luke as the model of authentic human response - to be free and informed - the call of the Lord.
The clarification requested is given in the language understandable to Mary and to all Israel, the biblical images.
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, as a cloud the strength of the Most High will overshadow you (v. 35).
is remembered above all the presence of the spirit of God, the spirit that hovered over the water at the beginning of the world (Gen 1:2) and is now again called because God is about to a new creative act in the womb of Mary.
Then the shadow and the cloud : in the Old Testament are signs of divine presence.
During the Exodus the Lord leading his people into a pillar of cloud (Exodus 13:21), a cloud covered the tent where Moses went to meet God (from 40.34 to 35) and, when The Lord came down to talk to Moses at Sinai, the mountain was covered by a dense cloud (Exodus 19:16).
Affirming that fell on Mary and the Holy Spirit has placed the shadow of the Most High, Luke declares that she has made this the same Lord. We are dealing with a profession of faith of this evangelist in the divinity of the Son of Mary .
Angel concludes his speech by recalling the guaranteed effectiveness of each word from the mouth of the Lord. It does so with the same words that turned to one of the three angels to Abraham and Sarah, incredulous announcement of the birth of Isaac: Nothing is impossible with God (Gen 18.14).
Behold are the servant of the Lord (v. 38a).
In the short story of the Gospel before us, there are three names of the Virgin Mary in Nazareth called in Heaven was known as the ' loved by God. Now, the third name, which has identified the Christian community: Servant of the Lord.
In our text it is Mary who is credited with this name, but it is unlikely. This qualification does not mean it - as someone translates - "humble servant", but is a title of high honor the Old Testament to reserve big men faithful to God (never a woman). Samuel, David, the prophets, the priests in the temple night and day Bless God (Ps 134.1-2) are called "servants of the Lord." When you mention the name of Moses, the sacred author often feels the need to add "a servant of the Lord."
is unlikely that Mary was so very modest due a title so high, although no more than she has certainly earned it. It is more likely that the early community - among whom she lived in prayer (Acts 1:14) - having gazed into her model of the disciple faithful, has chosen this title Bible to qualify and has put him on the lips.
done to me according to your word (v. 38b)
transpire in many paintings, the Virgin's face, the surprise and, at times, almost his dismay, followed, however, always accept the will of God.
However, happen does not mean appeasement resigned. The verb is a greek génoito optative expressing a desire joy. On the lips of Mary reveals her anxiety see you soon realized in the Lord's plan.
Where God goes, there always comes the joy.
The story begins with the welcomed , culminating in the exclamation of the Virgin pleased happen.
No one had understood God's plan, had not understand David, Nathan, Solomon, the kings of Israel. All had opposed their dreams, and he waited for help to achieve them. Maria did not behave like them, God has not opposed any of its project, he asked only to show clearly the role that it intends to, and she, after realizing, happily accepted her will.
Text taken from the book
the biblical scholar
Fernando Armellini
Listening is a party.
solemnities, feasts and the Easter Triduum
Ed Messaggero, Padova, pp. 183-191.
the gospel to pp. 47-54
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