Mary the new woman : in the Gospel of St. John

Abstract

Mary the mother of Jesus as she appears in John is not only represented as her historical character but in the function that has been reserved for her in salvation history. John has reserved a special place in this history tor her who has been addressed as 'woman". Woman not only gives human society its initial life, but she is also mother of all the living. The Bible identifies her with life-by her natural name she is Eve, the 'living one (Gen 31 20). !'he woman of the first creation was there tore called Lite, mother of all the living. Mary, not lass than Eve is mother of the new living. More so she is the mother of the very author of Life - Jesus Christ. Mary however is mother- of new life. not only of the word become flesh but of all those who live His life. Therefore a figure of the Church, the new Eve. Woman now stands face to face not only with Adam. but nth Christ representing the Church. A similar representation in John is round in the woman of Apoc. 12 who is again mother of Christ,, at the same time, mother of the New Israel founded on the imagery of Genesis. In this expectation, we understand the relevance with which Mary is again called 'Woman' at Gana; a title which takes us back to the beginning of Revelation at the Gates of Paradise Lost. Our Lord uses the same word when His 'hour' is come, and He fulfills His redeeming agony on the Cross, while Mary stands 'by a sign of spiritual motherhood - the Great mother of the Faithful. After this she is always the 'woman' - the true mother or all the living the new Eve, the Body of Christ~ through whom the Victory over Evil is accomplished and fulfilled.