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MERRY CHRISTMAS!
IT’S A BOY!
“When I was growing up” (as people
my age are inclined to say), people who were expecting babies
didn’t know until the baby was born whether it was a boy
or a girl.
In recent years, it has become commonplace — thanks to the
technology known as ultrasound — for expectant mothers and
fathers to know several months in advance, with a high level
of certainty, whether the little one in utero is a boy or a girl
— although some choose not to know. I guess they want to
be surprised.
When you come to think of it, the Blessed Mother knew from
the moment that she conceived Jesus that she was carrying a Boy!
She was absolutely certain of it. She knew she was not carrying
a little girl. She knew this on the word of God as revealed to
her by the Archangel Gabriel and without any need for ultrasound!
This prompts a question: Inasmuch as Jesus is the
one and only incarnation of God into the human race, is it even
theoretically possible that the Child could have been a girl?
Persons who try to combine Christian faith with radical feminism
will, of course, answer “Yes, of course! God could have
become either a male or a female human being. It
was just ‘luck of the draw’ that God became a male
human as opposed to a female human.” Persons who are theologically
astute and see “the whole picture” will, of course,
answer “No! Although we cannot deny the power of God to
become a female human being if He had wanted to do so, nevertheless
if He had incarnated as a girl, He would not have been able to
save the human race. Saving the human race required that God
incarnate as a male human being.”
Why? Putting it as economically as possible, the reason is this:
It was a male human being who brought about the fall of
the human race. We are referring, of course, to Adam. JESUS
IS THE SECOND ADAM or, putting it another way, JESUS IS
THE NEW ADAM, the new HEAD OF THE HUMAN RACE.
It is interesting to note that Eve sinned before Adam sinned.
Nevertheless, the human race did not fall out of God’s grace
until Adam sinned. Eve came from Adam! Adam was “lord of
planet Earth” and Eve was “lady of planet Earth”.
If Eve had sinned and Adam had not, Adam would have had the opportunity
to become Eve’s savior, as a result of which their descendants
would not have been born in original sin (with all that that
implies!).
Now, follow the bouncing ball:
Just as Eve’s disobedience chronologically preceded
Adam’s disobedience, so Mary’s obedience chronologically
preceded Jesus’ obedience. However, Eve’s disobedience
was not determinative. Her disobedience did not cause
Adam’s disobedience. It simply set the context for it. Likewise,
Mary’s obedience was not determinative. Her obedience
did not cause Jesus’ obedience. It simply set the context
for it. (You might want to re-read these seven short sentences.)
Mary’s obedience reversed Eve’s disobedience —
but this was not sufficient for the salvation of the human
race. Jesus’ obedience reversed Adam’s disobedience
— and this was sufficient for the salvation of the
human race. All of this requires that we understand a certain
facet of what is known as “theological anthropology”.
This includes a correct understanding of the relationship between
Masculine and Feminine, between Male and Female.
Putting it succinctly, we believe that every masculine human
being incorporates femininity within himself as an essential
component of his gender identity. On the other hand, every feminine
human being is exclusively feminine and does not incorporate
masculinity within herself. Think of it
this way: The pair of chromosomes that determine
sexual identity within each cell of a woman’s body are XX,
whereas the pair of chromosomes that determine sexual identity
within each cell of a man’s body are XY. Think also
of this: Each ovum that ripens within a woman is
“gender indifferent”, whereas each sperm that emerges
from a man is “gender determinative”.
None of this implies (as silly people are inclined to think)
that we believe that “men are better than women” nor
do we believe that “women are better than men”. We
simply believe that gender differentiation is part of God’s
eternal plan and, in a mysterious way, mirrors God’s own
relationship with His creation.
IT’S A BOY!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! |
Saturday,
24 December