Mary, The Woman

An Orthodox Icon of Saint Luke painting the first Icon of the Mother of GodJust as our Lord Jesus Christ is the true and Second Adam — the true man, through whom all humanity can become truly human — so also is Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos) the true and second Eve. She is The Woman, through whose womb was salvation and the restoration of the cosmos to be wrought.

We see Jesus call upon his mother in this way in the Gospel According to John:

“And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus saith to her: ‘Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come.’ His mother saith to the waiters: ‘Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.’”
According to John 2:3-5 (Douay Rheims)

While some interpret this passage through modern language and culture — wrongly believing that Jesus has “rebuked” his own mother (which is a blasphemous accusation) — what Jesus is saying here is actually a great sign of respect. And indeed, Jesus obeys his mother, and does exactly as she says. The Mother of God in turn gives us the most important of precepts as followers of Christ: “Do whatever He tells you.”

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Simple Response to Keith Mathison on St. Irenaeus

Simple Response to Keith Mathison on St. Irenaeus « Jay’s Analysis.

Great short article on the silly Protestant argument that the Fathers of the ancient Church used the words “Scripture” and “tradition” interchangeably (in other words, “tradition” meant “Scripture”).

Eve and Mary

Adam had to be recapitulated in Christ so that mortality might be swallowed up in immortality (1 Corinthians 15.53; 2 Corinthians 5.4). Eve had to be recapitulated in Mary so that a virgin would be the intercessor for a virgin, and by the obedience of a virgin, undo and overcome the disobedience of a virgin.

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 32

Of Heretics

“Alienated thus from the truth, [heretics] do deservedly wallow in all error, tossed to and fro by it, thinking differently with regard to the same things at different times, and never attaining to a well-grounded knowledge, being more anxious to be sophists of words than disciples of the truth [...] They always have the excuse of searching [after truth], [...] but never succeed in finding it.”

St Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, 24.2

Uphold the Truth

Error with respect to these three articles of our seal has caused many to stray from the truth. Either they reject the Father or they do not accept the Son. They speak against the mystery of His incarnation, or they do not accept the Spirit — that is, they reject prophecy. We must beware of such people and stay away from them if we truly desire to please God and receive His salvation.

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 99

Handed Down to Her Children

This, beloved friend, is the preaching of the truth, the means of our salvation and the way of truth. Foretold by the prophets and carried out by Christ, it was delivered to the Church by the apostles and handed down by her to her children throughout the world. We must keep it with all certainty, maintaining a sound will, pleasing God, practicing good works, and aiming always to do what is right.

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 97

At the Right Hand

Having risen from the dead and ascended, the Son is now at the Father’s right hand where he awaits the time set by the Father for the judgment. Then his enemies will be made subject to Him — all those who are found in rebellion — angels, archangels, principalities, and thrones, who turned away from the truth (cf. Jude 6; 2 Peter 2.4; 2 Enoch 7.1-13; 18.1-6).

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 84

Called Back to Communion

The Word of God holds first place in all things (cf. Colossians 1.18), because He is true man as well as “Wonderful Counsellor and Mighty God” (Isaiah 9.6). As such, He calls humanity back to communion with God, so that by communion with Him we may partake of incorruptibility (cf. 2 Peter 1.4).

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 39

The Significance of the Cross

In taking on visible form He necessarily had to display the universality of His cross openly, in order to demonstrate in a visible form His action upon visible things. For it is He who illuminates the height, the heavens; He who holds the deep, which is in the bowels of the earth; He who stretches out and extends the length from East to West; He who guides the breath of North and South; and He who summons all who are scattered everywhere to the knowledge of the Father (cf. Sirach 24.6-9; John 12.32; John 11.51f).

St Irenaeus, The Preaching of the Apostles, Chapter 33