18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; 22 and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.” ~ Genesis 2:4-3:24 (RSVCE)Read entire Scripture for Lesson One HERE
There is just so much to reflect on in this scripture! What really sings to my heart, mostly in the protoevangelium, is God’s Love for us! Prior to this point in scripture, we read that Adam hid because he “heard God walking through the Garden at the breezy time of day”. This is so amazing to just reflect and rest in those words of scripture. In my prayer, I can imagine living in a place where God can be heard “walking”. Of course, we know that “the breezy time of day” indicates that this was God’s Holy Spirit walking through the Garden. As I was meditating on this by my window, I could see and hear the trees outside blowing in the breeze…..how perfect!!
If we move a little more forward we read, “The Lord God made for the man and his wife garments of skin, with which He clothed them.” This resonated in my heart at God’s tender love and care in caring for the needs of Adam and Eve. Even in our sin, God is there reaching down to assist us along the road in recovering from the consequences of what wrong we’ve committed against Him. The end of my meditation on this scripture today left me in summary with two realities…the first being that we were given a human will, which permits us to “fall”, and the second most important is that …Jesus and Mary save!!
The part about God making the clothes for Adam and Eve also spoke to me of God’s love for us even when we sin and break the bond with Him. 🙂
…Yes!! so moving!! His Love and Care is so Great!!
Oops, I posted too soon! Sorry! 🙂
I went to adoration for the first time today and read through the scriptures and the verse that stood out for me with the reflection was Gen 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.” When I left adoration I went to stand in front of the new statue of Mary which was installed this past week in our new Marian Garden and was delighted to see Mary standing on the serpent’s head. I whispered to her, You Go Girl! So thankful for Mary and her YES to God!
Nikki, feel free to post as often with as many a-ha moments as you desire! This is a no-limit WINEspiration zone 😉
Oh – I love seeing these comments – and Nikki – I love your “You Go Girl!” comment to Mary – think how she smiled when she heard you!
I must admit, yesterday I struggled. My mind was wondering and I was overthinking the whole passage. Today, I was determined to just focus on the words, not my interpretation and again, I was struggling so I stopped. I grabbed a pen and paper and drew a picture of the story. I do not draw well but by slowing down and focusing on the scene I picked up more subtle details. It brought new meaning to “For you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return”. Alyssa’s reflection that Adam had not kept the garden free of evil and that Eve receives the evil one was also very helpful. I need to get over this hurdle of trying to justify Eve’s actions before I could truly reflect on this scripture in terms of Mary. Anyone else have this reaction?
Cheryl, I love your idea of drawing in your reflection and meditation on the scripture! I, also, was drawn to the line in scripture where Adam had not kept the garden free from evil and that Eve receives the evil one. I need to meditate on this verse further to gain some more understanding. There is just so much in this scripture passage from Genesis. For me the actions of Eve, the original mother of us all, are made new with God’s gift to us of Our Blessed Mother Mary, as She is “the new Eve”. Sometimes, getting over the “hurdle” as you say, is just realizing that we are not meant to fully understand, as God’s Greatness is a great mystery !
Today reflecting and praying with this scripture…I meditated on marriage and “relationship”, as Alyssa points out so well in this scripture. Additionally, my heart went to the Tree of Life in the Center of the Garden. For me, as well as for many here I’m sure, The Tree of Life is Our Beautiful Blessed Mother and the fruit of The Tree of Life is the Jesus Christ and The Eucharist. Putting the two meditations on these verses in Genesis together…..I see how here in Genesis we learn that Christ should be at the center of marriage and in all of our relationships with others.
I had never thought of the Tree of Life being a symbol of Mary with the fruit being Jesus and the Eucharist! What a wonderful interpretation! Thank you for sharing that!
Thank you so much! I just read Alyssa’s explanation on another aspect of The Tree of Life in the reflection discussion thread. It’s great! I love sharing and reading how scripture speaks to everyone’s hearts, as well!
Day 3 and my hearts are colored in black. ☹️ I keep coming back here for inspiration – something different from my own. (I don’t know if I should be here or on the discussion thread?) My lectio divina keeps bringing me to shame and guilt and nakedness and hiding from God. It’s a sad place, but it’s quite obvious God wants me to look at it since I’m on Day 3 of this same revelation. So I shall trudge through this valley, always looking up, open to receive God’s graces, even if they are not pleasant to me at the moment…He is working all things for my good, and I’m extremely grateful. Truly.
You are not alone in this thought. I’ve been lax on coming to the site the last couple of days. But my reflection on Saturday was all about free will and how God gave Adam and Eve (and of course me too) the opportunity to do right and as usual, our human nature stepped in because the fruit was appealing to the eye, would bring knowledge and was good for food. We won’t die, God said there would be consequences (death although not mortal death, it was a death of trust and innocence and relationship), but it was just too irresistible to walk away from so Eve had to see for herself and give it a bite and share the yumminess with Adam. We’ve all done it. Chosen the wrong thing, no matter how big or small and it causes brokenness in our relationship to God and we hide. But he’s looking for us, calling us to come back and is ready to clothe us and love us in his mercy no matter how big or small the sin. Thank You God! 🙂
Jill, although valleys can be painful, however, I always think about the incredible growth that takes place in valleys – both in nature and in our hearts. Praying for you! Also…for every valley God as allowed me to journey through, a mountain top was always awaiting for me on the other side!!
My dear Jill – you are not alone – here is what you have discovered – shame and fear – we all HAVE shame and fear – but you KNOW that you have them – so many of us don’t realize what is tugging on us – holding us back. The evil one hopes that you stay right there in the shame and fear and hiding – but Our God is a God of Mercy! He has sent the Redeemer – who has paid the debt. Ours is to ask for forgiveness for our falls – then do the wildest thing – forgive ourselves. Really – it may the hardest thing we ever do – forgive ourselves. Also – remember – you are the disciple Jesus loves – another thing that seems impossible to consider of ourselves. I often tell people – and myself – to just stand in the messiness of our lives – not trying to put anything back together or hiding behind anything – just let Jesus tell you that He loves you – broken – naked – afraid – in shame – He is wild for you!
Jill – you are the disciple Jesus loves!
Jill, these responses to your sincere and heartfelt entry are so beautiful, and they were, also, a great comfort to me! God bless you for sharing your heart this way and invoking such great prayerful conversation!…… …..I am praying for everyone here!
Today’s “Meditation of the Day” from the Magnificat is around being called by God to live in freedom through daily cultivating a faithful relationship with Him. The meditation called out the fall of man in the Genesis creation story. I love how all things I read or turn to are pointing me back to our scripture reading for the week. 🙂 It goes on to tie in 1 Corinthians referencing one of my favorite hymns Eye Has Not Seen and the first verse really reflects my desire from God right now. ” When pain and sorrow weigh us down, be near to us O Lord, forgive the weakness of our faith and bear us up within your peaceful word.”
From this week’s Scripture: “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” Today’s ponderings. God knew where they were, and called to them — for his sake but theirs. He calls to us every day, in our hearts, through his word, through the people he puts along our paths. Not for his sake but hours. Mary, heard that call, and her response—HERE I am Lord, let me be done to me according to Your Word. Trusting in his will in her life, not wavering like Adam and Eve, like I DO every single day. Today, I will contemplate if I am hiding or responding.
I love reading through all of these responses to others and personal reflections. What a blessing to open our hearts to one another based on scripture…
Amen!
The story that always been so hard to read and shameful, stood out.
“4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. ”
I heard: The attributes we are desiring… spiritual nourishment, delight in the Lord, wisdom… Cannot be instantly realized; cannot be gained by one spiritual bite They are gifts given to us in Baptism by the Spirit. Gifts that are cultivated and grown, tended to like a beautiful garden. The a-ha’s are in the journey. The fruit comes from growing the gifts.
Jenny – beautiful!
Thank you all for sharing! All you comments have opened my eyes even more.
Today my reflection was to look back in my journal (btw love, love, love the Called By Name journal!) and see where God has brought me this week. I took in the beauty of the garden, the mist, God forming Adam and with beautiful gentleness breathed life into him, plants + creatures added, then woman, and God walking through the garden. Adam and Eve saw God face to face until sin entered in and now we’Long to see your face O, Lord’. I felt the subtle ness of sin sneaking in with a seemingly innocent question from the serpent… temptation can sneak up on us and then we tempt others, not to be alone in sin. Striking at his heel also hit me that sin strikes at your vulnerable areas. I also saw Jesus on the cross foreshadowed when reading, “in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” that through his suffering we receive the bread of life that will take away our sins.
God Bless!
Whoa – Carol – loved that the devil swipes at vulnerable places and also the bread through the suffering of Jesus – this is wonderful to study together!
Thank you Carol! What a visual experience for me that was! Thank you for sharing.
Over the past several months I have been saying The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When I say this antiphon” Thou oh Daughter are Blessed of the Lord for through Thee we have been made partakes of the fruit if life, it reminds me to be grateful for Our Mother. Mary by her humility reverses all the pride and disobedience of Eve in the garden. Our Mother is always there for us to intercede for us!
Something that really stuck out with me this week was the last sentence love is back in order. This shows me that through the hard times I am still loved, when I fall off the path I am still loved, through it all I am loved.