Fifth Wednesday of Ordinary Time

Out of the ground the LORD God made various trees grow that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 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 evil. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.”

We often forget that the Garden of Eden had delightful and good food for Adam and Eve to eat and the tree of life to partake of, if they had chosen it. We so focus our attention on the tree of knowledge of good and evil, on what was forbidden, that we overlook all the good things God wanted us to have. He wanted us to have all our needs provided for and to live with Him in peace and harmony for all eternity. However, our ancestors choose the knowledge of good and evil over a life of holiness. This act introduced the sinful selfishness we know as original sin, which has passed down to us in the form of an inclination to sin. Thankfully, although we were cast out of the Garden of Eden, God had prepared a new path to eternity with Him and that path is the Way of Jesus, which we can only walk if we accept His Truth and live His Life. If we do these things, then something greater than the Garden of Eden will await us at the end of our lives... an eternity of being with God.

Are we producing good and delightful fruits or stealing fruits from forbidden trees? How do we express our thankfulness to God for all He has provided for us? What can we do to resist our temptations and do God’s Will?

O Lord, we wish only to eat the good and delightful fruit of your love and mercy.

Amen.