THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Behold, the maiden is taken into a parched and unincultivated wilderness. After the sacred cross and the wounds of Christ, He departed from the land of the Jews and ventured into the territory of the Gentiles, characterized by its barrenness and lack of cultivation. Prior to Christ revealing Himself to the Gentiles, they existed as a desert, devoid of fruitfulness for God. Concerning this very desolation, the prophet Isaiah proclaims, ‘Rejoice, O thirsty wilderness’ and its settlements, ‘and the desolate land shall be glad and shall blossom like the crocus’ (Isaiah 35:1). Thus, the Gentile nations are aptly likened to a dry and barren region. In this place, as the law states, the ‘veins of the maiden’ are to be severed by priests appointed by God.
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As I have mentioned, the sacrament of Christ is given to us who have turned from among the Gentiles, and those who acknowledge His suffering and resurrection share in these sacramental gifts. I believe the severing of the maiden's veins signifies this; for by proclaiming both His death and Resurrection, we are administering a sacred rite.