When you reflect on yourself, you see, that your sin is similar to that of the first people. All the sins in the world are like him. You can ask yourself a question, what is the connection between that sin, and the sins of all people ?
The biblical account of the sin of "the sons of Adam"
The Book of Genesis, after the account of the sin of the first humans, also speaks of the sins of Adam's descendants, about their tendency to do wrong. The inspired author presents this truth to us first in a dramatic story about Cain and Abel, whom he calls children of Adam and Eve. This is the most important part of this story :
“Abel was a shepherd of the flocks, Cain tilled the land. After a while, Cain offered the Lord as a sacrifice of the fruits of the soil, and Abel also took the firstfruits of his flock and their fat, The Lord looked at Abel and his sacrifice ; and he refused to look at Cain and at his sacrifice. It made Cain very sad and he walked with a sullen face. The Lord asked Cain : «Why are you sad and why is your face gloomy ? Yet, if you had done well, you would have a cheerful face ; if you do not do well, sin crouches at the gate and fawns at you, and yet you have to rule over him ».
Cain said to Abel, his brother : "Let's go to the field". And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then God asked Cain : «Where is your brother, Abel ? " He answered : " I do not know.
Am I my brother's keeper? ? »God said : «What have you done ? Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground ! So now be cursed in this role, which opened her mouth, to absorb your brother's blood, shed by you. When you are going to cultivate this role, it won't give you any more harvest. You will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the ground ! »… After which Cain departed from the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden ’ (Gen. 4, 2b-12. 16).
Genesis describes further, how sin is getting wider and wider among people. He shows this truth in dramatic and colorful stories. You probably already know the story of the Flood (Gen. 6, 5-22 ; 7, 1-24 ; 8,’1-22). Briefly recall this description : corruption is widespread among the people, they do not accept the admonitions of God given to them by Noah, who is the only righteous man. A flood is coming into the world, which is God's punishment. Not only people are dying in the waters of the Deluge, but everything, what's alive. God saves only Noah and his loved ones in the ark. In the same Book of Genesis you will find the story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11, 1-9), which speaks of the further spread of sin among the people. Here is its content : People all over the world speak the same language, unite against God, and as a sign of their greatness and independence from God, they build a mighty tower. God then confuses their tongues and they stop understanding each other, which breaks up the rebellious community. After construction, they scatter around the world.
All people are subject to sin
In these stories, God wants to show us, that people, as sons of Adam and Eve, sometimes they choose a path without God, against His will. God tells us about the universal tendency to sin and calls us to fight against evil.
As in the sin of Adam and Eve, so also in the sins of other people, breaking the relationship with God leads to the breakdown of the human community. The author shows it to us, when he tells of Cain's hatred of his brother Abel and the scattering of people in the construction of the Tower of Babel.
The biblical story of Cain and Abel is therefore the story of every human being. For everyone discovers a tendency to jealousy, pride and other sins. God calls every human being, to resist the tendency to sin : “Sin crouches at the gate and fawns at you, and yet you have to rule over him " (Gen. 4, 7). The story of Cain is read in the church on Monday of the eighth week (Year I), about the flood of v 1 Lenten Sunday (Year B), and about the Tower of Babel on the eve of Pentecost.
In the liturgy, we meet Christ. He has triumphed over sin and gives us a share of his victory. He's calling us, that we may overcome sin and overcome evil inclination and temptation.
Original sin
Over the centuries, the Church has tried to understand better and better the mystery of sin. Today, Pope Paul VI is giving us the doctrine of the Church :
"We believe, that all have sinned in Adam ; therefore it is human nature common to all people, because of the original sin committed by him, has been brought into state, in which it incurs damages resulting from it ; it is not that nature, that the first parents had, created in holiness and righteousness, and in which man was free from evil and death. Thus fallen human nature has been deprived of the gift of grace, with which it was adorned before, she was wounded in her natural powers, subjected to the rule of death, which has passed on to all people ; for this reason every person is born in sin. So we hold on to the Council of Trent, that original sin is transmitted with human nature through generation, and not by imitation, and that it is everyone's own sin.
We believe, that our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us through the sacrifice of the cross from original sin and from all personal sins committed by each of us, so that the Apostle's sentence is validated : “Where sin has increased, grace was more abundant there " ("I believe" by Paul VI).
So we see, that the first man committed sin knowingly and willingly. Because of this, he lost a life of grace, which he was to pass on to his descendants. All people are born without sanctifying grace in original sin, that is hereditary. Only Mary, Mother of Christ, it is free from original sin. That is why we call her Immaculate Conception.
Original sin has left some effects on human nature : we no longer have a clear understanding of the truth - we are more prone to bad than good, it is easier for us to love ourselves than to love God. That is why there are so many flaws in us. We call them "cardinal sins", for they are the source of sins. These are : pride, greed, impurity, jealousy, immoderation in eating and drinking, anger and laziness.
Community of life with God, the dignity of a child of God, that is, sanctifying grace, Jesus Christ restored us. Each, who through baptism. united with Christ, there is no more original sin. However, the evil effects of Adam's sin still remain in the baptized person : he has a weakened mind and will, he suffers and must die.
How will I answer God ?
I find myself inclined to sin. I can master them thanks to Christ, who overcame sin. We celebrate Christ's victory over sin very solemnly on the Easter Vigil. We sing in the Easter message : “So this is the night, which with the light of the pillar of fire dispelled the darkness of sin, and now the same night frees us all believers in Christ throughout the earth from the corruption of pagan life and from the darkness of sins, he returns to grace and gathers saints. On that very night, Christ, breaking the bonds of death, he emerged victorious from the abyss. After all, nothing would come to us from the gift of life, if we had not been redeemed ".
Christ is calling me, that I may persistently fight the tendency to sin in myself. What inclination (what disadvantage) I have to master it especially in myself ?
“I've been looking for the Lord, and he heard me and freed me from all my fear…
Try it and see, how good is the Lord, blessed man, who has recourse to him…
Restrain your tongue from evil, and your lips from deceitful words. Get away from the evil one, do good; seek peace, follow Him…
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the brokenhearted.
The Lord frees the souls of his servants, he will not be punished, who runs to him "
(Ps 33, 5. 9. 14-15. 23).
■ Think:
1. Co autor natchniony chce nam ukazać w opowiadaniu o grzechu Kaina, about the flood and the Tower of Babel ?
2. Jak Kościół tłumaczy tajemnicę grzechu ?
3. Kto przywraca nam utracone życie łaski ?
4. Co to są „grzechy główne” ?
■ Remember:
24. Jak nazywamy grzech, which reaches every human being ?
Sin, which reaches every human being, we call original sin, that is hereditary.
25. Kto z ludzi jest wolny od grzechu pierworodnego ?
Only Mary is free from original sin, Mother of Christ, Immaculate.
26. Why can we overcome sin and overcome the propensity to sin ?
We can overcome sin and overcome propensity to sin, because Christ has overcome sin and gives us a share of his victory.
When you reflect on yourself, you see, that your sin is similar to that of the first people. All the sins in the world are like him. You can ask yourself a question, what is the connection between that sin, and the sins of all people ?
