Word to the Wise
Saturday, February 14, 2015 - Saturday in the 5th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 3:9-24 and Mark 8:1-10]The Lord God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. [Genesis]
FEBRUARY 14 ST. CYRIL AND ST. METHODIUS
The loss of Eden and the loss of innocence have been the subject of reflection ever since human beings began to try to understand the origin of evil and temptation. The story is much older than the written account. The biblical scene is one of the very difficult moments in the relationship between God and humans. One almost senses a feeling of betrayal on the part of God: "Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!" Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent. There is no expression of remorse or begging for forgiveness. The woman is promised painful childbirth and the man is promised a lifetime of toil and both are banished from paradise. I do note the connection, however, between man and the ground from which he has been taken. There is that profound relationship which I experience each year on Ash Wednesday and the words, "Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return."
Human freedom comes with a price when it is undisciplined and rebellious. One would think with all the thousands of years of human experience and reflection that the lessons would have been learned permanently, but this is not the case. We know it from our own daily lives. The fortunate thing is that even if Eden is lost, forgiveness is not. But the need for forgiveness from God is what bears out the awful truth learned by Adam and Eve. AMEN
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