The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. 205of the Seed and that of the woman towards theTempter were to be identical. Now the enmity ofChrist or the Seed towards the evil One was absoluteand perpetual. Therefore the enmity of Mary, orthe woman, towards the Devil, never admitted of anymomentary reconciliation, which would have existedif she were ever subject to original sin.It isworthy of note that as three characters appear on the scene of our fall, Adam, Eve, and therebellious Angel, so three corresponding personagesfigure in our redemption, Jesus Christ, who is the1second Adam, Mary, who is the second Eve, and theArchangel Gabriel. The second Adam was immeasurably superior to the first, Gabriel was superior tothe fallen angel, and hence we are warranted byanalogy to conclude that Mary was superior to Eve.But if she had been created in original sin, insteadof being superior, she would be inferior to Eve, whowas certainly created immaculate. We cannot conceive that the mother of Cain was created superiorto the mother of Jesus. It would have been unworthy of a God of infinite purity to have beenborn of a woman that was even for an instant underthe dominion of Satan.The liturg es of the Church being the establishedformularies of her public worship, are among themost authoritative documents that can be adducedin favor of any religious practice.181 1. Cor. xv. 45.