What is a woman? Woman is Adam perfected; the epitome of all creation. God made Adam in His own image from the clay of the Earth, but made Woman from Adam’s flesh and bone. She carries within her characteristics of Adam, but is her own person as well. Being the perfection of all that God found to be good, the Devil despises her, but it is through the Woman that God defeats the Devil.
Adam was made in God’s image from the clay of the Earth and was tasked with caring for and naming all of creation1. In this way, as God willed creation into existence from His own intellect, Adam gave creation its many names from his own intellect. As God breathed life into Adam and gave of Himself, Adam literally gives of himself when he partakes in creating new life. But Adam was alone in the Garden, and God knew this was not good for him. No species was suitable to be a partner for Adam, so God created Woman from a rib in his side2. God did not use the clay of the Earth for Woman as He did with Adam, but Adam’s own flesh and bone, substance of the Earth that God brought closer to perfection in creating Adam, and perfected even more in creating Woman.
While Woman is created from Adam’s substance, she is not the same as Adam. She is her own person. Coming from Adam’s side, she is his equal so they may stand side by side before God3. Coming from his rib, she is close to his heart so that she may know him intimately and be loved by him. Being under his arm, she is protected and shaded by him so that he may defend her, not because she is weak, but because she is the crown jewel of creation and may not be tarnished by toiling in the sun. While Adam could only receive new life into himself once, his own life, when he was conceived, Woman may receive new life into herself many times over, and not just her own life, but the life of her children. After Adam gives of himself only once during the act of procreation, Woman does it many times over. It is her own flesh and blood, as it was Adam’s for her, that she gives to her children4. As she is nourished by creation, that nourishment is given to her children through her body, both in and out of the womb. While Adam could never give what was necessary to bring God to life in creation, Woman, in her more perfect design, did5.
Unfortunately, we may never know what Adam was doing when the Devil entered the garden as the serpent6. The Devil knew that in order to bring death to Adam, he must first kill the Woman. Without the Woman, Adam and all mankind, would perish. Thus, he sought to deceive the Woman in order that she and her husband would disobey God’s first commandment to them. While Adam sought to blame his wife, even though it was his fault in listening to her instead of God, his wife was truthful and acknowledged her own fault in saying the serpent tricked her7. God then told the Woman he would put enmity between her children and that of the Devil, forever putting them at odds with each other8. But the Devil would only be able to strike at the offspring’s heel, while he would be able to strike the Devil’s head. In this way, God promised Woman that she would be the key to defeating the Devil and attaining eternal life for mankind once more9.
After leaving the Garden, Adam gives the Woman, his wife, the name Eve. From Eve’s bloodline, God created an even more perfect woman, Mary. While Eve received her flesh and bone from Adam, it would be from Mary that God’s son, Jesus, would receive His most sacred flesh and precious blood. Through Mary’s act of obedience to God, she redeemed all women, and elevated the Woman back to her rightful place as the crown jewel of creation10. Through her obedience, and thus her Son’s obedience to God, mankind was able to receive eternal life again11.
Adam may have been created in the image and likeness of God, but it was Woman who was perfected. While Adam was made of Creation, Woman was made of Adam. She takes the best of Adam and is able to give of herself to bring God to life in creation. Because of her goodness, the Devil sought to bring death to her and mankind, but it is through Woman that instead mankind receives eternal life.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:7-20
- Genesis 2:21
- CCC 369
- CCC 372
- Luke 1:26-38
- Genesis 3
- Genesis 3: 12-13
- Genesis 3:15
- CCC 488
- Revelation 12:1-2
- CCC 494
The Measure of a Man 