Why Did It Have to be Snakes? (Mary & Genesis 3:15)

My wife is not a fan of Indiana Jones, which I find ironic since they share a deep-seeded hatred of snakes.  Not only will she hyperventilate if she sees one in real life, she’ll shriek and shut her eyes if one comes on television.  Actually, that may explain her lack of interest in the exploits of Dr. Henry Jones Jr.

So I was surprised one day when my wife brought up Genesis 3:15, one of the snakiest passages in Scripture.   This in the context of Genesis 3, the Fall of Man.  Adam and Eve have already eaten of the fruit, they already realized they were naked ("I didn't know I was streaking, honest!") and God is now giving out punishment.  In this punishment though God also gives hope... it is the protoevangelium, or first prophecy, and as most Christians understand it, a foretelling of the destruction of Satan and the coming of the Savior, making it a precious prophecy to millions.  When my wife mentioned the verse I knew immediately that it read:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

I didn’t know why she was bringing it up and I would have never guessed what she was about to ask me: “Do you agree with the Catholic teaching on this verse?”  I had no idea that there was a specific Catholic teaching on that verse!  And considering the fact that my dear, loving wife doesn’t quite see what I see in Catholic teaching  (not yet at least ;)... love ya babe!  ) I was just hoping this verse wouldn’t put enmity between me and my woman!

Thomas Merton and Living in Print

Jennifer Fulwiler over at the National Catholic Register wrote a good article... oh, about two months ago... in regards to comments made by Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk and a popular author.  He has some interesting things to say that apply to this age of the Digital Diva; which is especially interesting because he died in 1968, almost forty years too late for anyone to Tweet about it.  He is quoted as saying, "It was as if I could not quite be satisfied that I was real until I could... see myself externalized in a public and printed and official self which I could admire at my ease. This was what I really believed in: reputation, success. I wanted to live in the eyes and the mouths and the minds of men.  But when my mind was absorbed in all that, how could I lead a supernatural life, the life to which I was called.  How could I love God, when everything I did was done not for Him but for myself, and not trusting in His aid, but relying on my own wisdom and talents?"

Humbling thoughts for all of us, especially for me as I am rebooting my blog (and I know all too well how self-centered and self-absorbed I can be).  Be sure to check out Jennifer's full article as she has some very good thoughts on this.