Flowers for the Immaculate Conception (The First Robe of Light, edition)

And so it begins. The Jasmine are coming out. Above is the first of zillions to come.

Speaking of “first”….

In the Greek of the Sacred Scriptures, the word for “first” first of all always means “first”, that is, numerically the beginning of a series or the prime actor in a hierarchy. It never simply means “best” unless that meaning is derivative of the first meaning of being first of all first.

The First Born from the Dead refers on so many levels to Christ Jesus, keeping the meaning also of being first of all first.

When “first” is mistranslated as merely “best” with no connection to first of all being first, the meaning is entirely mistaken.

Thus, the prodigal son is given not merely the “best” robe upon his return, upon his being found by the father; he is given the very first robe (which is why it is best). This refers not to the first robe you find, the first one atop the heap of laundry. No. That would be stupid. “The First Robe” was a set phrase for hundreds of years before Christ Jesus voiced this parable. It referred to the first robe Adam wore before original sin, a robe of light, a robe of innocence. Give that to him.

Now that I’m ranting on translations, how about another from that parable. Translations speak of the father being moved to pity or some such thing upon his seeing his son trudging back. No. What it says in the inspired Greek is that the father’s heart was sacrificed upon seeing his son, obviously sacrificed in favor of his son. That sacrifice of his heart was a reference to the provision of redemption, of salvation in the sacrifice of the Heart of the Divine Son of the Immaculate Conception. A flower for you, Mary.