Original-sin-3


				The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the New Adam (Jesus) who, because He �became obedient unto death, even death on a cross� (Rom. 5:19-20) made amends superabundantly for the disobedience of Adam. Furthermore, many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen the woman announced in the first Gospel as Mary the Mother of Christ, and the new Eve. Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ�s victory over sin. She was preserved from all stain of original sin and, by a special grace of God, committed no sin of any kind during her whole life on earth. Why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? Saint Leo the Great responds, Christ�s Redemptive act gave us blessings better than those the demon�s envy had taken away. Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote: there is nothing to prevent human nature from being destined to a much higher end after sin. God allows evil things to happen to draw from them a much greater good. Thus Saint Paul says: �Where sin abounded grace has more abounded�. On Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil, the Paschal hymn, the Exultet, says: �O happy fault, which won for us so great a Redeemer�.
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	Summary Only Mary, the Mother of Jesus, came into the world without original sin. Christ by His Cross and Resurrection has broken the power of Satan and set us free. Created by God in a state of holiness, man was seduced by the Devil. Man abused his freedom, and set himself up against God. By his sin, Adam, as the first man, lost holiness and original justice which he had received from God not only for himself but for the whole human race...

Adam and Eve have transmitted to their descendents human nature wounded by sin, deprived of sanctifying grace. This is what we mean by original sin in us. Baptism gives us sanctifying grace but it does not change our weakened human nature, with ignorance, suffering and death.
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