On Father Simon Says, Tom from Monterey called in with a great question:

If Mary is the New Eve, how do we explain Jesus calling Mary Magdalene “woman” in the garden?

Fr. Simon explained that when Jesus says “woman”, it’s not a dismissive term like we might think in English; it’s more like “my lady” or “madam” in a royal, respectful sense. It was common for respected women, especially noble or royal ones, to be addressed that way.

Fr. Simon answered with an important insight: Our Blessed Mother wasn’t the first person to be conceived without original sin. Adam and Eve were too, but they rejected it. Mary, on the other hand, embraced her Immaculate Conception and fulfilled the role Eve was meant to play: the true mother of all the living… in Christ. 🙏

With his usual warmth, wit, and a shoutout to Monterey’s “great fish museum,” Fr. Simon reminded us how Mary’s “yes” reversed the “no” of Eden… and what that means for us today. 🕊️💙

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