08 March 2008

Patristic Quote of the Day

For the first man was indeed in the beginning in the paradise of delight, being ennobled by the absence both of suffering and of corruption; but when he despised the commandment that had been given him, and fell under a curse and condemnation, and into the snare of death, by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, Christ, as I said, by the very same thing restores him again to his original condition. For He became the fruit of the tree by having endured the precious cross for our sakes, that He might destroy death, which by means of a tree had invaded the bodies of mankind. He bore suffering that He might deliver us from sufferings; He was despised and not esteemed, as it is written, that He might make us honorable; He did no sin, that He might crown our nature with similar glory; He Who for our sakes was man submitted also to our lot; and He who giveth life to the world submitted to death in the flesh. Is not, therefore, the mystery profound? -- St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily 153 on St. Luke

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

1. The whole Christological point St.Cyril makes hangs on a literal reading of the creation/fall narrative in Genesis. I wonder if those who reject the literal historical value of this narrative could still make this christological point? I doubt they could but I am curious as to how they would deal with this.
2. The eucharistic meaning screams hear. In the eucharist we eat the fruit and drink the juice of Christ the fruit of the tree. So the same act which doomed manking, eating and drinking becomes the means of our salvation.