End of Hiatus, Beginning of …

Jesus, the new Adam – the “new man” – was born in the city of Bethlehem. The word “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.” The new Adam was born in the House of Bread and laid in a Manger, a feeding trough. Many times in the Gospel (eight times in John Chapter 6, alone), Jesus refers to himself as bread. Traditionally, this is reflected in the hymn Greek Orthodox priests recite as they begin the preparation of the bread for Communion:

Make ready, O Bethlehem, for Eden hath been opened for all. Prepare, O Ephratha, for the tree of life hath blossomed forth in the cave from the Virgin; for her womb did appear as a spiritual paradise in which is planted the divine Plant, whereof eating we shall live and not die as Adam. Christ shall be born, raising the image that fell of old.

The image that fell of old is that of the old man, our forefather Adam. Our first mother, too, reflected a tarnished image.

A face does not reflect itself in troubled waters. Neither did Eve see God in the mirror of her troubled soul. She was looking at the tree, full of mixed fruit – good and bad. Looking with her confused soul, she no longer saw God as higher than herself. She had abandoned God. God and the devil did not remain in the same regard. There was then no other woman to support her against Satan and his carnal viewpoint. And with these eyes and this new sight, she saw the forbidden fruit as good to eat, pleasant to look at and giving much knowledge. Oh, knowledge not only of good but also of evil! But the outcome of a mixture of good and evil is evil. In place of love all is filled with three desires: lust for bodily pleasure, desire for possessions, and desire for knowledge. Having lost God, she had begun to look for support in things. But the emptiness, caused by draining the abandoned God from the soul, all the world cannot fill.

In the fullness of time, God chose a young maiden in Nazareth to be both bride and mother. The Virgin Mary was deemed worthy of this highest calling by her faithfulness and chastity. Whereas Adam named his wife Eve, the mother of the living; God has made Mary the Mother of All Christians. Whereas all the living are kin to Adam through his blood and sin; all Christians are kin to Christ, the New Adam, through His Blood and faithfulness …

I thank faithful blog readers for their patience. Having been away from steady blogging for quite some time, it is odd to re-enter the field. Plus, I do so just before a vacation, which makes posting all the more difficult. The above passage is from the rough draft of a (God & publisher willing) new book I’ve been working on. I’m grateful for all the support shown for last year’s One Flew Over the Onion Dome, and I look forward to the challenges that the new work (less funny, but tastes great) shall bring.

God is [always] good!

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