The New Saint Joseph Baltimore
Lesson 5
The Creation and the Fall of Man
Adam and Eve had to choose between loving God most or loving themselves most.
We read in the Holy Bible:
Genesis 1
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 2
The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.
The LORD God gave man this order: "You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden
except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die."
Genesis 3
But the serpent said to the woman: "You certainly will not die!
No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad."
Explanation
Our first parents
God made Adam and Eve. They were the first man and woman. God made all things on earth for them, for their children, and for all who would come after them.
The two trees
But Adam and Eve had to make a choice. They had to choose who would be first in their lives. Would it be God-or themselves? Would they choose to serve God and eat of the Tree of Life or to serve themselves and eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
Original sin
The devil tempted Eve first and she led Adam into sin. They chose the forbidden fruit. This means they chose to please themselves instead of God. This was the first, or ORIGINAL, sin.
Practice
Please God always even when this means doing something hard.
CATECHISM
24. What is man?
Man is a creature composed of body and soul, and made in the image and likeness of God.
God made us like Himself. God’s greatest powers are to know and to love. He has these powers without limit. He gave us a share in these great powers.
25. Who were the first man and woman?
The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.
26. What commandment did God give Adam and Eve?
God gave Adam and Eve the commandment not to eat of the fruit of a certain tree that grew in the Garden of Paradise
27. Did Adam and Eve obey the commandment of God?
Adam and Eve did not obey the commandment of God, but ate of the forbidden fruit.
Adam and Eve misused the powers God gave them. They loved themselves more than God. They wanted to have the power and knowledge that God has. They deliberately sinned against God.
28. What happened to Adam and Eve on account of their sin?
On account of their sin Adam and Eve lost sanctifying grace and the right to heaven, and were driven from the Garden of Paradise
29. What has happened to us on account of the sin of Adam?
On account of the sin of Adam we come into the world without grace, and we inherit his punishment.
30. What is this sin in us called?
This sin in us is called original sin.
Original sin in us means that we are born without God’s life of grace in us and we are filled with selfishness. Baptism gives us grace but we still have to work to get rid of our selfishness.
31. Was any human person ever free from original sin?
The Blessed Virgin Mary was free from original sin, and this favor is called her Immaculate Conception.
Discussion Questions
1. What two great powers did God give us?
2. What command did God give Adam and Eve?
3. What did He say would happen if they disobeyed?
4. Why did they disobey God?
5. What happens to us because they disobeyed God?
True or False
1. We committed original sin.
2. Man has a body and a soul.
3. Adam and Eve spent all their lives in the Garden where God put them.
4. Baptism removes original sin.
5. God made us like Himself.
Fill in the Blanks
1. Adam and Eve lost the right to go to ....................
2. Man is made in the likeness of ………….
3. Adam and Eve did not …………… God’s command.
4. We are born without God’s life of …………...
5. The sin Adam and Eve committed is called ……............... …….
Other Readings
1. The story of Creation. Genesis 1and 2.
2. Man’s fall and the promise of a Redeemer. Genesis 3.
Class Liturgical Action
Have the class read together Psalm 50. It expresses well this lesson.
If it is too difficult, have the class repeat the Baptismal Promises from the
Easter Vigil.
Psalms
Chapter 50
Chapter 50
A psalm of Asaph.
The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From Zion God shines forth, perfect in beauty.
Our God comes and will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes, storming fiercely round about.
4
God summons the heavens above and the earth to the judgment of His people:
5
"Gather My faithful ones before me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
The heavens proclaim divine justice, for God alone is the judge. Selah
"Listen, my people, I will speak; Israel
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, nor for your holocausts, set before me daily.
I need no bullock from your house, no goats from your fold.
For every animal of the forest is mine, beasts by the thousands on my mountains.
I know every bird of the heavens; the creatures of the field belong to me.
Were I hungry, I would not tell you, for mine is the world and all that fills it.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
Offer praise as your sacrifice to God; fulfill your vows to the Most High.
15
Then call on me in time of distress; I will rescue you, and you shall honor me."
16
But to the wicked God says: "Why do you recite my commandments and profess my covenant with your lips?
17
You hate discipline; you cast my words behind you!
When you see thieves, you befriend them; with adulterers you throw in your lot.
You give your mouth free rein for evil; you harness your tongue to deceit.
You sit maligning your own kin, slandering the child of your own mother.
When you do these things should I be silent? Or do you think that I am like you? I accuse you, I lay the charge before you.
"Understand this, you who forget God, lest I attack you with no one to rescue.
Those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor me; to the obedient I will show the salvation of God."
The sacrifice God really wants is the sacrifice of praise accompanied by genuine obedience.
Lent and the Renewal of Our Baptismal Promises
Lent means "springtime." It is the springtime of our life in the Spirit. Lent is a special gift of God to His people. It is an opportunity to imitate Jesus as He fasted forty days in the desert. During Lent, we can walk with the catechumens as they prepare for the greatest event of their lives: receiving the sacrament of Baptism on Easter Vigil. In this way, we can prepare for one of the greatest moments of the year — the renewal of our baptismal promises. This renewal is so important that the Church offers this opportunity on the greatest day of the year, Easter Sunday, at every Mass in every Catholic Church in the world.
Pope John Paul II has taught: "It is no exaggeration to say that the entire existence of the lay faithful has as its purpose to lead a person to a knowledge of the radical newness of the Christian life that comes from Baptism"
(Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 10).
The renewal of our baptismal promises is the goal of Lent. All our Lenten activities should move us toward this goal. For example, when we go to Confession during Lent, it has an added significance. Our Lenten Confessions should prepare us to reject Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises and to make a deep act of faith in the Father, Son, and Spirit.
When we give alms, pray, and fast during Lent, we should do so secretly and sacrificially (see Mt 6:1-18). We should let the Lord put us in a position where we need help, when no one but our heavenly Father knows our need. Then, when our Father provides, we will know that He did it, for He was the only One who knew our need. Thus we will have a greater faith in our Father. This will encourage us to simplify our life-style, which will give God the Father more opportunities to father us. We will then be in a life-style of ever-increasing faith. This kind of life-style is the best context for renewing our baptismal promises.
When we read, pray, and study God's word during Lent, we are not merely reading for information or inspiration. We are reading to grow in faith, for faith comes through hearing and hearing through the word of God (Rm 10:17). With our faith growing deeper, we are preparing to make the greatest act of faith: the renewal of our baptismal promises.
When we see that all the roads of Lent lead to the renewal of our baptismal promises, we understand that a "good Lent" does not merely mean that we've gone to Confession and have been faithful to our Lenten practices. This is a necessary start, but a good Lent also means:
1. I have repented of all sin in my life and have gone to Confession. Despite my weakness, by God's grace, I've committed myself to obeying the Lord. Therefore, I can renounce Satan and be protected from his retaliation (see Acts 19:13 ff). I can use my authority over him and bring down his strongholds (see 2 Cor 10:4).
2. The extent of my penitential practices has put me in a position where I obviously needed God's practical help immediately. My heavenly Father has fathered me, and I now have a deeper faith than ever before.
3. God's word is burning inside me (Lk 24:32). My communication with God is better than ever and my faith is stronger than ever.
If the Lord has His way, the renewal of our baptismal promises on Easter Sunday will be the greatest act of faith of our lives. Even if we previously have totally committed our lives to the Father, Son, and Spirit, this Easter's renewal of our baptismal promises should not be a re-run. The love which God has poured out on our lives since last Easter should bear fruit in the deepest expression of faith in God that we have ever made.
In preparation for the renewal of your baptismal promises, review the six questions of the baptismal promises.
Celebrant: Do you reject Satan?
Response: I do.
Celebrant: And all his works?
Response: I do.
Celebrant: And all his empty promises?
Response: I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
Response: I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
Response: I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
Response: I do.
Now renew your baptismal promises. Answer "I do" to each of the six questions.
Renewing these promises is a way of making a total commitment of our lives to God.
This is the most important decision a human being can make. Give your life to the Lord. Decide to live for Him and not for yourself (2 Cor 5:15).
Respond to His total love with your total love.
After making this new act of faith, you will notice major changes in your life.
Write and tell us the good news.
P.S. Check the date of your Baptism and celebrate your baptismal anniversary each year.
Nihil obstat: Reverend Edward J. Gratsch, January 23, 1992
Imprimatur: † Reverend James H. Garland, Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 23, 1992
Imprimatur: † Reverend James H. Garland, Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Cincinnati, January 23, 1992
The Nihil obstat and Imprimatur are a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
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