Sunday, May 29, 2011

Genesis Trees PREFIGURE

I'm reading "Catholics and the Eucharist." There is SO much that goes right over my head, that I'm totally oblivious about my faith. This morning, while reading the "Introducton" I gained several 'warm-fuzzy,' enlightenments.
The introduction points out two principles that will help my continued growth of understanding.

The INCARNATION PRINCIPLE - God reveals Himself to humanity - through a varietyof ways. In the Old Testament, He revealed Himself to Moses through the 'burning bush.' He reveals Himself to me (today) through books, people, situations. (Nothing is accidental, everything is Providential - He reveals Himself to us in a variety of ways daily if we are open to seeing His Divine hand molding and shaping us constantly.)


And the SACRAMENTAL PRINCIPLE

In the Book of Genesis, we meet Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (the Garden of Delight). We learn of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life - they ate of the forbidden fruit - they disobeyed.

The Tree of Knowledge was not bad just because it was placed off limits. In the Epistle of Diognetus, (written "a few decades before the last book of the New Testament), he that the trees were planted "to show that life is attained through knowledge."

God placed the Tree of Knowledge 'off limits' because God intended to teach us wisdom later when they were more ready to recieve that knowledge. Just as now, God is teaching me wisdom as I'm ready to receive it. Never in my lifetime will I be able to learn all that there is to learn in the Bible and Church traditions, but as I'm ready to understand, He enlightens my mind and heart.

The two trees utilize the Incarnation Principle; they were physical means of revealing Himself to Adam and Eve. In time, they would be a source of offering the 'fruits'of transforming their minds and hearts. In that sense, they were the first SACRAMENTS. The sacraments 'feed' us; the fruits of those trees would 'feed' them.

The SACRAMENTAL PRINCIPLE is God's means of communicating to us in such a way to make us holy, to help us grow closer to Him.

So, the two trees foreshadow - the Tree of Knowledge - scripture, His Word; the Tree of Life foreshadows - the Eucharist!!!!!!!!!!!

AWESOME!

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