The promise of the woman and her seed comes to fruition in Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, * the Lord is with you!" * 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. 30* And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31* And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33* and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34* And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" 35* And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born * will be called holy, the Son of God. 37* For with God nothing will be impossible." 38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.”
Mary the second Eve tells God yes. The fall was started by a woman and the redemption is stated by another woman the one promised in Gen. 3:15 and God gives both of them free will to choose yes or no to his will. Mary says let it be according to your word.
St. Iraenaeus (c. 140/160-202 A.D.), who was Bishop of Lyons:
Even though Eve had Adam for a husband, she was still a virgin…By disobeying, she became the
cause of death for herself and for the whole human race. In the same way, Mary, though she also had
a husband, was still a virgin, and by obeying, she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the
whole human race…The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience. What Eve
bound through her unbelief, Mary loosed by her faith. (from Adversus haereses, quoted in Mary and
the Fathers of the Church by Luigi Gambero; Ignatius, 1999, pg. 52).
Just as Eve's participation in the fall of man was real, although the sin was charged to Adam, so Mary's
participation in our redemption was quite real, although the victory was won by her Son.
Continue to next page for more information on Mary.