Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!” The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

When we do something wrong, we have a tendency to look for excuses or blame others. This is exactly what Adam and Eve do. Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent. This temptation to fault everything and everyone but ourselves is one we have to struggle with throughout our lives, especially when we feel unfairly treated by people or wonder why things aren’t going our way. Instead, we should accept responsibility for the consequences of our sins, confess them with contrite hearts, and do penance with the joy that should come from being freed from our burdens.

Who do we blame for our problems? What are our excuses for sinning? How can we train ourselves to own up to our failings and strive to be better?

O Lord, we are naked before you. Clothe us in your mercy and grace.

Amen.