After his fall, man was not abandoned by God. On the contrary, God called him and in a
mysterious way heralds the coming victory over evil and his restoration from his fall. This
passage in Genesis is called the Protoevangelium (first gospel)): the first announcement of the
Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final victory
of a descendant of hers.

     The Christian tradition sees in this passage an announcement of the "New Adam" who,
because He became obedient unto death, even death on a cross," makes amends superabundantly
for the disobedience of Adam. Furthermore, many Fathers and Doctors of the Church have seen
the woman announced in the Protoevangelium as Mary, the mother of Christ, the "New Eve".
Mary benefited first of all and uniquely from Christ's victory over sin. She was preserved from
all stain of original sin and by a special grace of God committed no sin of any kind during her
whole earthly life.

     Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary's womb because He is the New
Adam, who inaugurates the new creation. "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust, the
second man is from heaven. From His conception, Christ's humanity is filled with the Holy
Spirit, for God gives Him the Spirit without measure." From "His fullness" as the head of
redeemed humanity "we have all received grace upon grace."