Friday, March 16, 2007

Marian Figures Of The Old Testament: Rachel


Rachel is the wife of Jacob.

-The beauty of Rachel enraptures Jacob and foreshadows Our Lady, who is Totus Pulchra: Total Beauty. Mary Most Holy is beautiful because she loves. Her love is the unconditional love of a mother. If we are to become beautiful, we must imitate Our Blessed Mother and Love!

-Jacob meets Rachel when she is leading her flock of lambs to the well. This shepherdess image is parallel to the apparition of Our Lady of All Nations.

-Rachel as mother of Joseph, prefigures Mary as Mother of Jesus. Joseph is sold into slavery which leads to the ultimate redemption of her people. The mother suffers in this process.
Other children put him in bondage. Likewise we are the other children who put Christ in bondage which causes the heart of Mary to be pierced at Calvary.

-Rachel is mother of two sons. The first born is Joseph. The second born is Benjamin.
Scripture tells us that Rachel gives birth to Joseph in great joy. As does Mary give birth to Jesus, not in pain, but in ecstatic joy.

The second son Benjamin, Rachel gives birth to in great suffering. Benjamin in Hebrew is Benoni which means "Son of suffering." This foreshadows Mary’s role as co-redemptrix in giving birth to her second child, the Church. She does this with great suffering.

No comments: