\u201cIt\u2019s not fair!\u201d said my son, holding up his sixth-grade homework.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s not fair?\u201d I answered, knowing his homework-stalling tactics.
\n\u201cAdam and Eve really messed us up!\u201d he shot back.
\n\u201cPlease, just do your homework,\u201d I said, adamantly.<\/p>\n
That day at school, they had talked about the Garden of Eden and Adam’s fall from grace, which affects us all. He couldn\u2019t accept their betrayal of God in favor of the sins of the devil, which closed the gates of heaven. Only Christ\u2019s sacrifice on the cross redeemed us.<\/p>\n
Adam had everything he needed. He was created with a purpose: to serve as the steward of God’s creation. After he named all the animals, he was blessed with a female companion. Together, they would work in harmony with the Creator in a peaceful world.<\/p>\n
To my son\u2019s dismay, this didn\u2019t last, and the world remains far from peace. Humanity’s decline began with Adam, but our recovery came through Christ. While the Lord\u2019s sacrifice on Calvary repaired the rift between God and mankind, the devil still taunts and tries to intrude in our relationships.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s second reading offers hope: \u201cFor if by the transgression of the one [Adam] the many [us] died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.\u201d<\/p>\n
God\u2019s generous gift reopened the gates of heaven for humanity. However, we still depend on God\u2019s grace to overcome our struggles with sin. The redemption of humanity was secured, but our individual salvation relies on our cooperation with God’s will and attentiveness to His divine plan.<\/p>\n
We walk in faith toward our heavenly home, hoping to receive the same welcome from the Father as shown in the parable of the Prodigal Son when he returns home. We long to return to the Father in our heavenly home and find our way back.<\/p>\n
But living a good Christian life is difficult. Sometimes we feel like lambs among wolves. But Jesus tells us not to fear anyone, saying, “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.\u201d Our eternal souls will outlast our fading bodies.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s Gospel states: \u201cEveryone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.\u201d In the end, we all want to be acknowledged.<\/p>\n
The Christian martyrs gained recognition and paved the way, starting with St. Stephen, the first martyr. The word \u201cmartyr\u201d means to \u201cwitness,\u201d referring to someone who testifies to the truth of Christ and refuses to deny it. A cloud of witnesses cheers us on.<\/p>\n
Although few of us want to be martyrs, we still must live by faith, carry our crosses, and often bear others’ burdens. Staying alert against lukewarmness or any loss of momentum, we continue our journey toward heaven. And one day, we will be able to embrace Jesus, our Great Gift.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Charlene Unterkofler<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Reflection provided by diocesan.com. Reprinted with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Great Gift \u201cIt\u2019s not fair!\u201d said my son, holding up his sixth-grade homework. \u201cWhat\u2019s not fair?\u201d I answered, knowing his homework-stalling tactics. \u201cAdam and Eve really messed us up!\u201d he shot back. \u201cPlease, just do your homework,\u201d I said, adamantly. That day at school, they had talked about the Garden of Eden and Adam’s fall from grace, which affects […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-reflections"],"yoast_head":"\n