Homily, June 9, 2024

Readings: Gn 3:9-15; 2 Cor 4:13—5:1; Mk 3:20-35 

We rarely have the 10th Sunday of Ordinary time because it tends to be superseded by Pentecost or Trinity Sunday or Corpus Christi. This year instead we’ve lost Sundays 7, 8 and 9 because of those feasts.

In our readings this Sunday, we are reminded of the profound consequences of the first disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve, lured by the serpent’s cunning, freely chose to eat from the tree that God had forbidden. Their excuses and evasion of responsibility reveal the human tendency to evade accountability. A child will blame another sibling for something that is their own fault. Adults often pass off blame by pointing their finger at someone else. Corporations will spend millions to cover up major blunders – Or they will conceal the whole matter with distracting lawsuits against those who stand for the truth. Someone else must take the blame.

The immediate result of their disobedience was the awareness of their nakedness. This spiritual “nakedness” goes beyond physical exposure; it signifies a radical change in human nature known as “original sin,” prompting us to actual sin. However, all is not lost. Despite their fall, God did not abandon humanity. 

God’s remedy for our spiritual nakedness comes with the call for each of us to freely take responsibility for the consequences of sin. Even though God knew what had transpired, He asked for a verbal accounting. This highlights the importance of confessing our sins, exposing ourselves to Him, and taking responsibility in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The Church preserves this moment in the Garden, allowing us to confess, detest, resolve not to repeat, and receive forgiveness. Consider making this a regular practice in your life. It helps to keep us on the right path. 

Sin always looks good on the outside; Satan works hard at making our desire to turn from God worthwhile. The moment we turn from God, we know within our inner being that we have sinned. In his mercy, God wants us to turn back to Him. In turning back to God, we have to acknowledge our sinfulness. In turning back, we are acknowledging our fault/s, we become aware of how easily swayed we can be. This ultimately leads us to have understanding and compassion for others.

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus remarks, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” It doesn’t require much reflection to see the truth of this. We see countries where there is internal conflict torn asunder. We see families in which there is conflict breaking up. But the problem affects us on a personal level too. Each of us is a divided kingdom. We are divided within ourselves; we are pulled in opposite directions. There is a war going on inside each of us, a war between light and darkness, between good and evil. Recall the Cherokee legend of the two wolves!!

Even though this is an obvious truth, it can take a long time to grasp it. It is a humbling truth, yet there is a kind of freedom in knowing and accepting it. The sooner we come to terms with it the better. Even the Saints experienced this internal division. This is what St Paul was talking about when he said candidly. “I do not understand my own behavior. The good that I want to do, I do not do; the evil I want to avoid I find myself doing. (Romans 7:15). Because of this inner division, we cannot afford to be complacent, and neither should we become discouraged. Christ restores us to God’s friendship. And by the power of his Spirit, we are also able to reach out to others in forgiveness and reconciliation.

Genesis teaches us a profound truth about SIN. When we sin, we cannot face each other openly and neither can we face God. As terrible as Adam’s sin was, it is perhaps even more terrible that he sought to hide it and then shift the blame to Eve. Let us not make the same mistake as Adam but, like the Psalmist, trust in God and receive his forgiveness. Lord, in your gentle mercy, guide our wayward hearts, for we know that by ourselves we cannot please you.