How to understand the Christian concept of God versus the pagan gods. Pope Benedict XVI (emeritus) wrote "Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives." In it he discusses the difference between mythic conceptions of divine birth, like the rape of Europa by Zeus and the Matthean and Lukan accounts of the virgin birth. Comparing the two, he focuses on how differently the divine is understood. He writes, "The difference between the concepts involved is so profound that one really cannot speak of true parallels. In the Gospel accounts, the oneness of the one God and the infinite distance between God and creature is fully preserved. There is no mixture, no demi-god. It is God’s creative word alone that brings about something new. Jesus, born of Mary, is fully man and fully God, without confusion and without. " Pope Benedict XVI. Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives . The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
We will discuss the myth concerning the rape of Europa and compare it to the story of Mary's virginal conception. Different worlds to explore this and more on Oro Valley Catholic for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.