Homily Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 3:9-24) “A Tree That is Lifegiving”
Homily Fifth Saturday of Ordinary Time (Genesis 3:9-24) “A Tree That is Lifegiving”
We forget when we read the story of Adam and Eve that there were two trees in the Garden of Paradise. One tree was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That was the tree that our first parents ate from. The other tree is the tree of life. Adam and Eve were not allowed to eat from the tree of good and evil, but they could eat freely from the tree of life.
We get the impression that the tree of life was a source of everlasting life. A consequence of sin was death. The first human beings were expelled from the garden where they enjoyed life eternal. But this was not the end of the story.
After they left the garden they had to worry about the passage of time. Adam and Eve had to wrestle with the reality of mortality. We know that they had to go through the aging process. Death, from that point on, was hanging over their head.
Someone once said that from the moment we are born we are going through the dying process. The older we get the more there is a sense that time is running out. We are never going to accomplish everything we might want to do in life. We are limited beings. At least that is the way it seems on the surface.
For people of faith there is the knowledge that death is not the end. Our soul lives on after death and at the end of all time our body and soul will reunite. We will have a new glorified existence where we will not be limited by time or space. Christians hold this to be true. Why?
We know that there was a third tree, the tree of the cross. It is often said that Jesus was “nailed to a tree.” When we hear that it is an allusion to the tree of life. We are freed to eat from the tree of life (the cross). The food is the Eucharist which is a sign that we will live forever. Jesus restored the privilege of eternal life with God which was lost at the fall. The end of the story for us is not sin and death, but grace and life.
- How have I failed to cooperate with God in my life? What have the consequences been?
- Do I look at the Eucharist as a sign of the resurrection? If I do, am I reassured when I receive the body and blood of the Lord?
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend is Valentines Day. When we were in grade school this was probably a big day for all of us. We would have a special party and we would make a box so that other students could drop in their cards to us. There would be great anticipation and we would wonder. Does everyone in the class like me enough to give me a card? The cards were usually purchased from the store in bulk, but they were still important.
If someone did not give a card to a classmate tears might result. Feelings would be hurt. Perhaps this was a concrete application of golden rule. We are to love everyone not just the people that are attractive or popular.
Do we tell others that we love them often enough? At times we may take people for granted. This is a fault we all have. We might want to take time to show our affection for someone that we have emotionally neglected recently.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark