Journeying With Christ: The Coptic Month of Kiahk of the Nativity Fastనమూనా

Week 2 Theme: The Annunciation to St. Mary

Day 7: The New Eve and the New Adam

"For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith." - St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies)

As we journey with Christ, we encounter the profound reality of our brokenness and the transformative power of redemption. Today, we reflect on the parallel between the first Adam and the second Adam, and the role of St. Mary as the New Eve. Through their obedience and cooperation with God's plan, Jesus Christ, the New Adam, restores us to communion with God. Let us embrace the hope of restoration and honor St. Mary as the New Eve, who played a significant role in God’s plan for our redemption.

The passage from St. Paul's letter to the Romans reminds us of the consequences of Adam's disobedience. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). Adam's sin brought sin and death into the world, affecting all humanity. We inherited a fallen nature, separated from God and in need of reconciliation.

But God, in His boundless love and mercy, did not leave us in our brokenness. He initiated a plan of redemption and restoration through the second Adam, Jesus Christ. "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). Christ's obedience on the cross reversed the consequences of Adam's disobedience, offering us forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

St. Irenaeus, an Early Church Father, explains the role of St. Mary in this process of restoration. He writes, "For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith" (Against Heresies) and St. Jerome also writes, “Death came through Eve, but life has come through Mary.” St. Mary, as the New Eve, played a pivotal role in the unfolding of God's plan and her obedience and willingness to cooperate with God's will brought forth the New Adam, Jesus Christ, who offers us new life and restores us to communion with God, as heirs to God’s Kingdom.

Through St. Mary's obedience, the Incarnation became possible. She humbly accepted the message of the Archangel Gabriel and surrendered herself to God's plan. Her "yes" to God's invitation brought forth the Savior of the world. St. Mary's faith and trust in God serve as an example for all believers, showing us the power of surrendering to God's will and the role St. Mary had according to God's plan of our redemption. St. Irenaeus writes, “For just as [Eve] was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so did [Mary], by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness of the virgin Eve.”

In embracing Christ as the New Adam, we find restoration and hope. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He offers us forgiveness, reconciliation, and the promise of eternal life. Christ's obedience tramples down on death and sin and grants us the opportunity to experience God's abundant grace and victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

As we honor St. Mary as the New Eve, let us seek her intercession and guidance in our journey with Christ. Just as she cooperated with God's plan, may we also open our hearts to God's leading and respond with obedience and faith. St. Mary's role in the redemption story reminds us of the profound impact we can have when we surrender ourselves to God's will and cooperate with His divine purposes.

Image: Eve and Mary by Sr. Grace Remington, O.C.S.O