TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
9 June 2024 – St. Joseph Cathedral
Gn 3:9-15
2 Cor 4:13—5:1
Mk
3:20-35
Praised be Jesus
Christ!
“Who
are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the
circle he said, “here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is
my brother and sister and mother.”
I think that many times as a boy
(grade school age for sure and maybe even high school), reflecting on the
passage we heard in the first reading from the Book of Genesis, about the fall
from grace of our first parents, I sometimes thought that Adam and Eve got a
raw deal, that they were tricked by the serpent and should have been forgiven
straight off and given another chance by God. Back then there seemed to me
something unfair about the consequences of original sin being passed on to all
of humanity, leaving us outside of the circle of God’s family and friends. For
whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
In a sense, I suppose, my childish
analysis of the problem of the Fall, the Original Sin, was precisely the kind
of thought process or lack of thought which has gotten us as professed
Catholics into trouble in every generation and age of the world. It has kept us
from repenting from our personal sins, from renouncing sin and Satan, and
turning to God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Estrangement from
God always starts on our part and is what gets us into trouble, ultimately
leaving us unhappy and alone, not only far from God but far from our neighbor
as well. We should recognize that outside the Garden of Eden is our normal
condition. It is where we have been from the moment of our conception as a
consequence of Adam’s choice to leave God out of his life and go his own way. Banishment
from God’s presence, as Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden, was
ultimately the choice of our first parents. The bad choice, the disobedience to
God’s precept was their choice. Genesis explains the Fall and its consequences
as no more than God saying, “Well, look at you!” Then (God) asked, “Who told
you that you were naked?”
Time for a little family history! All
of us Gullickson children were on the shy side, and on various occasions I can
remember Dad trying to draw me out of myself. For example, I can remember when walking
on the street downtown with him, he catching me putting my head down as some
boy and his father passed on the other side of the street, Dad would say, “Who is
that?” And at my response, sort of under my breath, that it was a classmate
from 8th grade would snap, “Well then, say hi to him!” There is
nothing particularly virtuous about that kind of shyness. It is little more
than a refusal of the other and for no good reason. I remember at home, when we
were being stubborn or otherwise contrary, Mother would challenge us with the
admonition, “Stop playing strange!” I don’t really think the fruit of the tree
at the center of the Garden was all that tempting. They had all the fruit in
great variety that they could ever want. No, Adam and Eve were stubbornly
choosing their own will over God’s will for them. They were playing strange
with God.
Driven from the Garden of Eden by an
angel with a fiery sword? Only because Adam and Eve had already put themselves out
of God’s presence by ignoring Him, by hiding from Him, as if that were really a
possibility in succeeding when you are dealing with the all-seeing and all-knowing
God!
My intention is not to take anything
away from the doctrine of original sin, but rather to look at us as we are in
terms of actual sin, in terms of what we personally do wrong or fail to do. Granted,
our situation pre-Baptism is one of estrangement from God. Through the
lifegiving waters of the font we are born again to new life, we put on Christ,
we enter into the circle of His family with Christ. It is our choice then in
life whether to keep our place in that circle. “Who are my mother and my
brothers?”
These days people put off baptizing
babies with all sorts of excuses. They put off going to confession as well. Why?
Some people with a rather defensive tone would basically challenge God or put
Him in His place kind of like the serpent back in the Garden of Eden, claiming God
would never punish or that there would be no consequence to the disobedience of
Adam and Eve. I suppose rightly enough preachers of the word should be more
energetic about preaching damnation. Somehow, looking at Adam and Eve, I wonder
if it would be enough to bring certain people to their senses. With the grace
of the Sacrament of Penance we know that dreading the loss of Heaven and the
pains of Hell is sufficient for the Sacrament to work its miracle of cleansing
and reconciliation. Even so we seek to fulfill those other words in the Act of
Contrition, “but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good
and deserving of all my love.”
In the Gospel, Jesus is more
straightforward in describing wherein lies our justification, namely in
intimacy with Him. “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around
at those seated in the circle he said, “here are my mother and my brothers. For
whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Obedience, eagerness to do God’s will
seems to be what assures us a place in the Kingdom.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI
No comments:
Post a Comment