It was fitting that the Giver of all
holiness should enter this world by a pure and holy birth. For He it is that of
old formed Adam from the virgin earth, and from Adam without help of woman
formed woman. For as without woman Adam produced woman, so did the Virgin
without man this day bring forth a man.
For it is a man, saith the Lord,
and who shall know him [Jer. 17:9]. For since the race of women owed to
men a debt, as from Adam without woman woman came, therefore without man the
Virgin this day brought forth, and on behalf of Eve repaid the debt to man.
That Adam might not take pride, that
he without woman had engendered woman, a Woman without man has begotten man; so
that by the similarity of the mystery is proved the similarity in nature. For
as before the Almighty took a rib from Adam, and by that Adam was not made
less; so in the Virgin He formed a living temple, and the holy virginity
remained unchanged. Sound and unharmed Adam remained even after the deprivation
of a rib; unstained the Virgin though a Child was born of her.
St. John Chrysostom, “Homily on Christmas
Morning”
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