Wednesday, February 5 : Saint Peter Chrysologus

“Woman is not independent of man or man of woman in the Lord” (1 Cor 11:11) (…) Man and woman walk hand in hand to the Kingdom. Christ calls both man and woman at one and the same time without distinction, united by God and joined together by nature, giving them a share in the same actions and tasks in wonderful harmony. Through the marriage bond God makes two, one, and one, two in such a way that another self is discovered without loss of individuality or mingling in duality. But why does God appeal thus to man and and to woman through the images he gives of his Kingdom? (cf. Lk 13:18-21). Why does he suggest such greatness by means of seemingly weak and inadequate examples? Oh my brethren! a priceless mystery is hidden under this poverty. As the apostle Paul says: “This is a great mystery: but I speak in reference to Christ and his Church” (Eph 5:32). These parables suggest humanity’s greatest goal: man and woman have brought an end to the lawsuit against the world, a lawsuit that dragged on for centuries. The first man, Adam, and first woman, Eve, are led from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to the fire (…) of the Gospel (…). Mouths sickened by the fruit of the poisoned tree are healed by the fiery taste of the tree of salvation, of that tree tasting of fire which inflames consciences frozen by the former tree. Here nakedness makes no difference and no longer inspires shame, for man and woman are fully clothed in forgiveness.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team