Why was Eve disobedient? Why did Mary disobey? God is a God of love and not an evil genius that delights in our uncertainty. He gives us many signs under the guise of our ordinary life.
The Fathers of the Church will say that the whole of the universe is waiting for the "yes" of Mary.
What preceded Eve's disobedient was disbelief because perhaps she felt that she knew better than what God had to say. Mary on the other hand felt that she didn't know better and that she had in fact every right to trust in God. What a struggle we have in choosing between Eve and Mary. The early Church fathers saw the Virgin Mary as the new Eve, the new mother of all the living.
In today's class we compared and spoke much about the difference between the two. On a very simple level, Eve was disobedient and Mary was obedient. This leads us to ask several questions but most importantly 'what was behind their decisions?' We believe that Even was created perfectly and so why did she disobey God whom she knew so well? What becomes apparent is that she disobeyed God first because she began to lose faith and trust in him. The devil in Genesis is shown to strike at her relationship with God. He wanted her to believe that God was somehow sinister and did not want the good for her. *This is so much like our hearts! We struggle to come closer to God because as we come closer, we realize how mysterious and unknown he is to us. God is a mystery and there is always more to learn and know about him.
Therefore, God causes much fear in us because he is like an abyss of light...although He is light...there is so much that we are afraid to dive in... It seems that there are two fundamental reactions to God...to be afraid or to trust...once we fear...we distrust...and then we disobey...which is the path of Eve. When we choose to release our fear...we trust..and then we obey...which is the path of Mary. Clearly, this courage that we are invited to have before God is only something that can be given to us as a Grace.
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