The Catholic Defender: The Freeborn Woman allegory of the Virgin Mary

“Brothers and sisters: It is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the freeborn woman. The son of the slave woman was born naturally, the son of the freeborn through a promise. Now this is an allegory. These women represent two covenants. One was from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; this is Hagar. But the Jerusalem above is freeborn, and she is our mother. For it is written: Rejoice, you barren one who bore no children; break forth and shout, you who were not in labor; for more numerous are the children of the deserted one than of her who has a husband. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are children not of the slave woman but of the freeborn woman. For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” Galatians 4:22-5:1

A very important clue is given by St. Paul, he states, "brothers and sisters, we are children not of the slave woman but of the freeborn woman." I ask again, who is this freeborn woman? For Christians, this could only be one woman. It is the same woman of Revelation 12:17, "Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus." It is the same woman of John 19:26, When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"

The idea of freeborn woman would also point to the woman of the Immaculate Conception! There is only one freeborn woman and that is Mother Mary.

Isaiah 7:14 states, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el." Our Lady of Mount Carmel ties this prophetic sign to the sign of 1 Kings 18:44:

"So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." And he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again seven times." And at the seventh time he said, "Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising out of the sea." And he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you."

There are four basic components from the signs of Isaiah and Elijah that tie them to the Blessed Virgin Mary:

1. THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION - Because the Virgin would arise as a cloud out of the salty sea water saturated with the guilt of humanity, having the same nature of the water but without it's bitterness. Our Lady was conceived without Original Sin and not marred by sin.

2. THE VIRGINITY OF MARY - Because Mary arose out of Mount Carmel and like a man's foot (Douay-Rheims), this means Mary would follow the path of Elijah who ascended Carmel through voluntary virginity as Elijah and completed the pure works (hands).

3. THE TIME OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH - Because Elijah's servant saw the cloud on his seventh try so would the world witness the advent of the Virgin preparing for the Seventh Age.

4. THE VIRGINAL MATERNITY - Because in the little cloud, God would come down like a sweet rain, without noise of human collaboration (except Mother Mary), that is, without violating Mary's purity.

The sign of the cloud revealed rain, the sign of the Virgin with child revealed grace.

The Blessed Virgin Mary's birthday is celebrated on 8 September, the sign of our restoration brought us Our Redemption through her Son, Jesus Christ. Mary is the Freeborn Woman!

Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael, born of the slave woman Hagar, and Isaac, born of his wife Sarah represents two peoples, two nations. It is through Isaac that the promise of God has been preserved, ultimately with the coming of the Messiah, the holy promised one of God. By following Jesus, we are spiritually sons and daughters of father Abraham (John 8:39-58).

We see in the Gospel Jesus making this case:“While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here.”

Jesus speaks of a sign, the sign that Jesus gave his generation is found in John 6:30. The people challenged Jesus, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?” Jesus then gives the bread of life discourse that becomes the sign not just for his time, but for all time.

Four times Jesus states, “Amen amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” John 6:53

Jesus says that at the resurrection of all the dead, the Queen of the south will rise and condemn them because of their lack of faith.

Matthew 10:15 states, “Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town” (the town that does not accept Jesus word).

The real issue brought before us today is who do we hold allegiance with, who is our spiritual mother in this context, Hagar, the slave woman or Sarah, the wife of Abraham?

To break this down a little closer to home, are we listening to the teaching of the Church, or are we listening to the way of the world?

Do we accept the sign coming from the Son of Man, or are we following the “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4)?

In receiving the truth of the Son of Man, by accepting his kingship (Daniel 7:13-14), we are then accepting the Queen-ship of the woman of Revelation 12, the mother of all her offspring, “those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.” Revelation 12:17

At Fatima Our Lord wanted to reveal the honoring of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Heart of the Freeborn Woman who was faithful to the King of kings.

Jesus promised to those who accept and receive His sign that he will raise them on the last day (John 6:40, 44, 47, 51, 54, 57). Jesus gives six reasons to believe in His sign and like St. Peter, we should say, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”(John 6:68)

O Divine Eternal Father, in union with your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit, and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg you to destroy the Power of your greatest enemy–the evil spirits. Cast them into the deepest recesses of hell and chain them there forever! Take possession of your kingdom which you have created and which is rightfully yours. Heavenly Father, give us the reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I repeat this prayer out of pure love for You and with every beat of my heart and with every breath I take. Amen.