The 24th of December is the day when we are awaiting the birth of Our Lord but for many centuries it was also the day in which Adam and Eve have been commemorated. Medieval Christians celebrated this day with theatrical performance which retold the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. For the play trees were decorated with apples to represent the tree in the Garden of Eden. Some writers believe that the paradise tree from these plays evolved into what we now know as the Christmas tree. Commemorating the lives of Adam and Eve on the 24th of December promoted comparison of Adam and Eve with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Eating the prohibited fruit was the fall of first parents but here comes the day when Virgin Mary will give to the world the fruit of Her womb, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who will redeem the humanity. As St. Paul said: “for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). St. Louis Maria Grignion de Montfort describes Our Lady as a true tree of life: “Mary is his most worthy Mother because she conceived him and brought him forth as the fruit of her womb. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. (Lk 1:42) Hence it is true to say that Jesus is the fruit and product of Mary wherever he is present, be it in heaven, on earth, in our tabernacles or in our hearts. She alone is the tree of life and Jesus alone is the fruit of that tree. Therefore anyone who wishes to possess this wonderful fruit in his heart must first possess the tree that produces it; whoever wishes to possess Jesus must possess Mary” (Love of Eternal Wisdom, thesis 204).

Let us consecrate our souls on this day to Immaculate, let her conquer the old man in us, so during Christmas we can generously accept the Fruit of her womb, Our Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts. Fr. Karl Stehlin in his book on the Immaculata wrote: ”More or less impenitent old Adam with his bad habits and with his egoism will try to stop the progress of the souls and drag them down towards the evil. Christ gave us an extraordinary grace — the presence of Mary, so in our last hour we should not despair. Mary is a new Eve and just like she conquered the curse of the old Adam and first Eve, so she will do the same in the soul, which is consecrated to her”.

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