They, children of the earth but with souls made like unto God, had preternatural gifts. These flow from the fact that we were all made in the image and likeness of God, having, therefore, free will and reason.
These were sanctifying grace, bodily immortality, integrity, and infused knowledge. All these were lost in Original Sin. But, if I am to understand Eden, do I not need to understand these gifts, which are given again to men and women through Christ.
The first we can understand. It was a permanent gift, and if we continue without mortal sin, that is our permanent gift as well.
The second we have gained through the Passion, Death and Resurrection, the sign of immortal life, the regained privilege to live with God forever. Connected to that was perfect health. This immortal life may be with or without God, but it is a gift and separates us, like knowledge, reason and free will, from the other animals. Our soul is immortal.
Parts of knowledge, the knowledge held by Adam and Eve, as the Catholic theologians teach us, were knowledge of regarding God, His attributes, (which may be learned again in contemplation at the stages of Illumination and Union), the moral law involving man's relation to God, (what we would call understanding justice and mercy), and knowledge of science, which means knowledge of the physical (material) universe as well as the spiritual world, which now is mostly revealed to us through the teachings of the Church (Tradition) and Revelation ) the Scriptures.
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Those who are saints come very close to this on earth, outside the Beatific Vision.
Therefore, and I am working my way to the understanding of Eden as Gethsemane and Gethsemane as Eden, some of these gifts are renewed in the stages of perfection, but only with suffering.
But, the mystery remains...and what is obvious may be overlooked by me.
Again, three persons walked in Eden. Adam and Eve, husband and wife, walked with God.
Such is the mystery of an excellent marriage. Imagine a relationship with no tension!
What is obvious about Eden is that it was for our first parents, for their life, a place for them to be and have children.
Theirs....
Gethsemane did not belong to Christ as Man. He chose poverty and owned what he left to work for three years in His public ministry.
Gethsemane was a public place, with a cave where Christ could go with His closest friends and pray. They fell asleep, which so many Catholics are today.
God is saying that gifts are His to give and places are gifts. Pray for me as I continue to mull over Eden and Gethsemane. Once the light has come so that I truly understand what is happening through this meditation, if it is something I can share, I shall.
God makes new doughnuts everyday. And this meditation has levels of meaning, some I have not even begun to suspect.
to be continued...