2

The following is taken from True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort:

If Mary, the Tree of Life, is well cultivated in our soul by fidelity to this devotion, she will in due time bring forth her fruit which is none other than Jesus.

In light of Genesis 3:22-24:

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Since God's clear intent was to prevent man from eating of the tree of life, what is the biblical basis for Mary being the Tree of Life and Jesus the fruit thereof?

Improve this question
8
  • 1
    In one sense Mary could be considered the tree, but so could the cross. After all, who put the life-giving fruit on the Tree whereof "unless one eat ... he has no life in him."
    – Sola Gratia
    Mar 27, 2021 at 22:21
  • @SolaGratia Good point. Mary is the cross? Who said this? So, we cannot separate Mary from Christ and we cannot preach the crucified Christ without including Mary's role as the cross.
    – jong ricafort
    Apr 1, 2021 at 6:03
  • Types are not mutually exclusive - overlap and contradict each other (inasmuch as the events and people which are types mutually contradict each other). Mary's role can be exaggerated; however, it's difficult to over-exaggerate the role of the second Eve in the Redemption, in the same way it's difficult to over-exaggerate the role of Eve in causing Adam to cause the Fall. Mary as the new Eve is critical in understanding Mary, but Eve did not cause the Fall, and Mary did not cause the Redemption - directly or primarily, or in the most important way.
    – Sola Gratia
    Apr 1, 2021 at 22:36
  • @SolaGratia Pope Francis relate the cross to the tree of life too.- "The cross expresses love, service, unreserved self-giving: it truly is the “tree of life”, of overabundant life." Mary=Tree of Life =Cross? Is this a heresy? "We adore you, O Christ and we bless you. Because by your Holy Cross/Holy Mother you have redeemed the world."
    – jong ricafort
    Apr 2, 2021 at 9:45
  • We may not say such a thing: Christ most definitely did not redeem the world by Mary. That is a heresy.
    – Sola Gratia
    Apr 2, 2021 at 20:26

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

What is the Biblical basis for Mary being the Tree of Life?

This is a metaphor for Mary. Christ is the source of our salvation and our eternal life. Mary is the one that bore Jesus into the world. Thus Mary is the Tree that produced the Fruit which (who) is no other than Jesus of Nazareth, who is called the Christ!

Catholics believe in the Eucharist! Thus Jesus is the fruit. Mary is the tree of life that produced the God-Man, who in turn gave us his flesh to eat at the Last Supper.

For a biblical basis, I would recommend St. Like’s narrative on the birth of Jesus:

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. - Luke 2

Improve this answer
2
  • We are prevented from eating the fruit of the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:24) until we are in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7 and Rev. 22:2) when Jesus will give that privilege to those who overcome. Therefore how can Jesus be the fruit of the Tree of Life?
    – Mike Borden
    Mar 28, 2021 at 14:09
  • 1
    @MikeBorden It is a metaphor for Mary. Besides Catholics believe in the Eucharist! Jesus is the fruit and Mary is the tree!
    – Ken Graham ♦
    Mar 28, 2021 at 14:18
0

What is the Biblical basis for Mary being the Tree of Life?

Mary Visits Elizabeth

41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? - Luke1:41-43

Scriptures says, no one can say Jesus is Lord unless one received the gifts of the Holy Spirit. St. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she now understand and can proclaim the Truth, that what Mary bears in Her womb was Jesus, His Lord.

Spiritual Gifts

3Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. - 1Corinthian12:4

To give a clear understanding biblically of your cited teachings coming from St. Louis de Montfort regarding the Tree of Life and pointing to Jesus as the fruit and connecting it to Genesis passages in:

In light of Genesis 3:22-24:

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

The highlighted portion speaks of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is the fruit, and anyone who eats Jesus will have eternal life and live forever. This passages speaks of the "Bread of Life" and also explain that the fallen man must work the ground, related to this passage:

Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”

bSo they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” - John6:27-29

After we professed our faith that we believed in Jesus, we must be also filled with the Holy Spirit like St. Elizabeth, so that we not only believed in Jesus but we can also proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. And the most important thing is to eat the fruit that can give us eternal life to live forever in the Kingdom of God.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” - John6:51

In Genesis3:22-24, after the fall of Adam and Eve, they were expelled and prevented from eating the fruit of the Tree of Life, in Catholic teachings the fruit or in the Bread of Life doscourse, it is the Holy Eucharist, and it is a sacrilege to receive and eat it, if we had committed a mortal sin, like Adam & Eve who had committed a mortal sin, they cannot eat the fruit, they must "work the ground" first. The meaning of "work the ground" is to do penance and Adam and Eve must see the promised Saviour.

In closing, Mary is the Tree of Life and Jesus is the fruit, we need to go the Tree in order to have Jesus the fruit. We cannot ignore the Tree of Life, which is Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ. And this can be found in Catholic famous prayer the Hail Mary;

"...and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus."

And the fruit, is the bread of life or the Holy Eucharist. And by eating the fruit, all who see and believe in Jesus Christ can have eternal life. But if we want to do more for God, this time by proclaiming our faith in Jesus Christ, we all need first to be "filled with the Holy Spirit", because we can only say Jesus is Lord if we had received the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Improve this answer
7
  • Dueteronomy 7:13 (among others) also has "fruit of thy womb" This is building a lot on something that may just be an expression of child bearing. "Be fruitful and multiply". Also, we are not given to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life until we are in the Paradise of God (Rev. 2:7 and Rev. 22:2) therefore how can the Eucharist be the fruit of the Tree of Life?
    – Mike Borden
    Mar 28, 2021 at 14:05
  • @MikeBorden That's exactly what happened in the Bread of Life discourse. Jesus doesn't care if no one left to believe in Him being eaten "flesh & blood" in the form of a bread. All the followers including the Apostles wanted to leave Jesus too. The keyword here is "Theosis", Adam & Eve are allowed to eat from the Tree of Life after they worship in the garden for their "transformation" but theosis is a long process. In Catechism it's the Transfiguration, see CCC999-CCC1000. Eucharist is the secret of incorruptible Saint, and the halo is the symbol of eucharist too. its the source of holiness.
    – jong ricafort
    Mar 28, 2021 at 19:28
  • You and I read John chapter 6 very differently.
    – Mike Borden
    Mar 29, 2021 at 20:13
  • Catholic Church teaches the Bread of Life as the Eucharist. I understand the Christian interpretation is different, like the followers and the Apostles, they dont get it, why? They were not yet "filled with the Holy Spirit". But at the Upper Room their eyes were open because the promised Spirit of Truth now guides the Apostles to understand the meaning of Bread of Life. Other followers of Jesus turn their back. -John6:66
    – jong ricafort
    Mar 29, 2021 at 23:11
  • “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” - John 6:65 This teaching is woven throughout the bread of life discourse and this teaching is the reason many disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
    – Mike Borden
    Apr 2, 2021 at 12:06

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .