CATECHESIS cat·e·che·sis /ˌkadəˈkēsəs/
Jesus empowered the Church to continue His mission when He said, Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth; go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations.
Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of time. Matthew 28:18-20
ORIGINAL SIN
OPENING PRAYER (WELCOME GOD INTO OUR STUDY)
Father of Mercies, we thank you for the waters of Baptism that cleansed us of Original Sin. We beg you to grant us the grace to avoid personal sin, to repent when we fall, and turn back to you, in Jesus’ name we pray.
CATECHESIS (STUDY THE FAITH)
THE FALL FROM GRACE
The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it Genesis 3:6
REFERENCES FROM CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 2ND EDITION
CCC 385 – 390 The Fall from Grace
CCC 391 – 395 The Fall of the Angels
CCC 396 – 409 Consequences of Original Sin
CCC 410 – 412 God’s Promise – “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve In His image and likeness, He endowed them with intelligence, love, freedom, and conscience. He gave them the grace of “original holiness.”
Man and the world began in harmony and grace, not sin. The inner harmony between man and woman, and the harmony between man and all of creation comprised the state of “original justice.”
This harmony of “original justice,” God’s original plan for man, is lost by the sin of our first parents. It is called Original Sin. God “tested” our first parents by forbidding them to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” The tree, off limits to man, was a symbol of the limits humans have as creatures to choose.
TREE OF GOOD AND EVIL
Our freedom to choose means we are free to choose good. To choose evil is enslavement to sin and means estrangement from God. God’s moral laws govern our freedom. To step outside these moral laws is to assume a freedom never granted to man. One of the consequences of “original sin” is the loss of grace, a sharing in God’s divine life.
All descendants of these first parents also inherit concupiscence which is a darkened mind, a weakened will, and disordered passions.
We did not commit “original sin.” But we are born with its effects, a wounded human nature in body and soul and estrangement from God’s divine life. Our plight is not hopeless, however. Baptism restores us to friendship with God but the wounds of original sin remain.
To ignore the fact of sin in human history is plain foolhardy. By any other name we may call it, character flaw, mistake, or weakness, an offense against God is a sin, plain and simple.
Before the fall of man was the spiritual fall of the angels. God, too, as in the case of man created the angels good. Satan and other demons became evil by their own doing, choosing to reject God.
Due to their “spiritual” nature the Angels’ choice was singular and irrevocable. “The fall of the angels consists in the free choice of these created spirits to radically and irrevocably reject God and his reign.” 2 Peter 2:4
The tempter of our first parents, says to Adam and Eve, “You will be like Gods.” Genesis 3:5. The devil, a sinner from the beginning is a liar and Father of lies.
In the Garden, Man, tempted by the devil, abused his freedom and disobeyed God’s command. Immediately Adam and Eve lost the state of original harmony. They became afraid of God and hid from Him.
The union of man and woman became subject to tensions, lust, and domination. The rest of creation became hostile and alien to man. Death enters into human history. Because of man’s act of disobedience, all of creation is now subject to death and decay.
Why God permitted sin in the first place remains a mystery. But we do know God can bring a greater good from evil. To quote St. Thomas Aquinas, “God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good.”
CLOSING PRAYER (PRAY THE FAITH)
Father, how wonderful that you care for us! How boundless your merciful love! Lord God, we praise you for creating man and still more for restoring him in Christ Jesus your Son who shared in our weakness that we may share in His glory now and forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray.
LIFE APPLICATION (LIVE THE FAITH)
1. When I look back on my life where do I see the effects of original sin most apparent? ie. darkened mind, weakened will, disordered passions.
2.At the end of each day, what do I notice about the difference between what I intended to do and what I actually did?
3. How can I develop the habit of choosing good?
SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PRAYER
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host,
by the Divine Power of God, cast into hell Satan
and all the evil spirits who roam throughout the world
seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen