Women: Source of Life

Written originally on December 13, 2020

The source of our sin and our salvation came from a woman.

Our entire faith is based on two women who fundamentally changed our faith. One was misguided into sinning against God and breaking His only commandment, and the other followed every command and called herself “the maidservant of the Lord.” In one, there became a need of salvation, and in another became the essence of salvation.

And based on such, many others justly followed the example set by the pure and ever-virgin the Mother of God St Mary, who the fathers called the “Second Eve” out of whom the “Second Adam” came into the world. The fathers of the church explicate more on this through the use of Theotokias, which are praises directed at the mystery of the ever-virgin as in the Sunday theotokia, we recite saying “Through Mary, the daughter of Joachim, we learned of the true sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins” and we also say in the Monday Lobsh (Explanation) “Through the advice of Eve, our first mother, Adam ate from the fruit of the tree... Through Mary, the Mother of God, Adam was restored again to his authority.” And on that same model, many women of the faith carried their innovations into the world like St Verena of Thebes, who introduced to Europe elementary hygienic principles.

Nowadays a lot of people think that women are not emancipated when it comes to theological, pastoral, and ecclesiastical roles. They feel that the need to introduce women into the ranks of the priesthood is essential for the modernization of the church. But to that I would simply ask, “If women are to be priests, why wasn’t St Mary, the Mother of God, not ordained a matriarch or even as a clergyman?” Had God wanted to ordain women priests, he would firstly honor his mother who gave birth to him. But rather God has sanctified women for the task of growing and furthering humanity by giving birth and raising tomorrow’s saints. Behind every saint, pope, ascetic, and spiritual figure is a mother figure that contained them and helped further them into the amazing saints we know and love today

St Mary’s worth goes beyond all words of mouth, and her veneration is beyond all understanding. May God help us through her prayers and intercessions and open unto us the gates of his church now and forever.

Your brother in Christ,

Mena Basta