You can’t read too far into the Fathers without picking up on the importance of the olive in Mediterranean life. Called the “meat of the poor,” it was a staple in the diet, an ingredient in food, a seasoning, and a main course in itself. Its oil was a medicine, a lotion, a base for perfumes. In the Church, it was the myron, the sacred chrism used in sacramental anointings. Archaeology magazine has posted an interesting interview that gets to the pit of the matter: Olives and People, Past and Present.

I can’t really fault God for choosing to become incarnate in a place where his mama would cook so much with olive oil. I had no choice in my placement, but it sure worked for me.