Readings: Genesis 3:1-8, Ps. 32:1-2,5-7, Mark 7:31-37
“They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)
- At the heart of every temptation is an attempt by Satan to distort God’s word. In the first temptation, Satan made Eve believe that God was telling a lie in that even though God said they would die, nothing would happen to her, but instead, her eyes would be open, and she would be like God, knowing good from evil.
- In every temptation, Satan tries to disprove what God has said; he makes us doubt God, and then he goes further to make us believe that there is something we stand to gain by disobeying God’s instructions, such as the pleasure we hope to get, the excitement of it all, the fun it promises, the hope of becoming richer, more beautiful, more powerful, and connected, and so on. When we listen to the devil, we start seeing God’s commandments as restrictions rather than as keys to our happiness and fulfilment.
- It is only after falling into sin that our eyes become open; then we get to see that Satan is the real liar and not God, that what we thought God was keeping away from us was never for our good, and there is no happiness whatsoever in sin. After eating from the tree, Adam and Eve died to innocence. They realised they were naked and started looking for how to hide from God as a result of their guilt.
- Did God lie? No. Trust God. He can never lie. Keep His commandments even when they appear difficult and inconvenient; struggle to do what God desires, and you will find life. God’s commandments are for your ultimate good. He gave us these instructions because He knows what is best for us. In the healing of the deaf and dumb man in our Gospel passage, we see how much God cares about our good. The Penny Catechism defines sin as an offence against God. The truth is that sin is also an offence against ourselves. When we choose to sin, we are the real losers.
- Why did God instruct Adam and Eve to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? 1) Knowledge comes with responsibility – Once you know the difference between what is right and wrong, you deserve to be punished for doing what is wrong. 2) When you know good and evil, you prefer doing what is evil. Evil always seems more alluring.
- Like the two accounts of creation, Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden is a theological explanation of the origin of suffering in the world. If God is perfect and created a perfect world, why do we have so much trouble today? From the beginning, humans were meant to live freely like other lower animals. Animals do not plan evil; their only concern is how to stay alive. Having eaten the knowledge of good and evil, humans are the only species not satisfied with being alive; we never stop planning evil in our heads, and we keep trying to become like God.
- The more we humans advance in knowledge, the more we advance in evil. Today, artificial intelligence promises immense good for humanity. Unfortunately, some powerful individuals are more concerned with using artificial intelligence to enrich themselves, not minding if they destroy the rest of the world. The more we increase in knowledge, the more we see people who say there is no God, but when we face any havoc owing to our wrong use of knowledge, we immediately blame God.
- Today, we remember two incredible saints who shaped Europe's spiritual and cultural landscape: St. Cyril the Monk (826-869) and St. Methodius the Bishop (815-885). St. Cyril, also known as Constantine the Philosopher, was a Byzantine monk, scholar, and missionary. Born in Thessalonica, Greece, he was educated in philosophy, theology, and languages. Cyril became a monk and later a priest, dedicating his life to missionary work.
- St. Methodius was a Byzantine bishop, scholar, and missionary born in Thessalonica, Greece. He was the older brother of St. Cyril. Methodius was educated in law and administration but later became a monk. He was ordained a priest and eventually consecrated a bishop.
- In 863, Emperor Michael III sent Cyril and Methodius to Moravia (present-day Czech Republic and Slovakia) to spread Christianity to the Slavic peoples. They translated liturgical texts, including the Bible, into the Slavic language, creating the Glagolitic alphabet. This innovation enabled the Slavs to worship and read scripture in their native language.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, increase our trust in you daily that we may never offend you. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Saints Cyril, monk, and Methodius, Bishop. Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: Genesis 3:1-8, Ps. 32:1-2,5-7, Mark 7:31-37).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu