Monday, March 21, 2005 Lenten Fast
Venerable Confessor James, Bishop of Catania
6th Hour: Isaiah 4:2-5:7 1st Vespers: Genesis 3:21-4:7 2nd Vespers: Proverbs 3:34-4:22
Genesis 3:21-4:7, especially vs. 22: "And the Lord God made for Adam and his
wife garments of skin and clothed them." In the Genesis readings for this week, God reveals significant insights into the
consequences of disobedience. Even as He seals the door of the Paradise of Eden, He clearly shows that He has not
abandoned mankind. His providence continues. Also, He reveals sin in all its vicious ugliness, unmasking secularism.
Likewise, to prevent despair, God discloses that His image, which we bear within us, remains, so that despite sin, the grace
of God can yet abound. Thus, we are led to consider His Providence.
In the present passage, it is strikingly clear that although God sent our primal parents out of the garden of Delights, He
neither abandoned nor destroyed mankind. He barred the way to the Tree of Life with a fiery sword, but as St. John
Chrysostom notes, "He did not stop loving them at that point. Instead, faithful to His own goodness, He is like a loving
father Who sees His own son through negligence committing things unworthy of his upbringing and being reduced from his
eminent position to the utmost depravity: He is stirred to the depths of His being as a father, yet far from ceasing to care for
him, He displays further concern for him in His desire to extricate him gradually from his abasement."
This survey of the reading discloses that God's providence continues. Yes, He imposes death on Adam's race because of
disobedience, but He does not withdraw the element of physical life. Hence, Adam calls his wife Eve, or Zoe, that is, Life
(vs. 3:21 LXX). She will bring many children into life (4:1,2,25; 5:4). Further, as St. John Chrysostom points out, God
"does not overlook them in their depth of shame and nakedness...[but] showed them great pity and...makes them garments
of skin...and clothes them in them" (vs. 3:21). He causes the ground and the beasts to produce life's necessities for
mankind (vss. 3:23; 4:3,4). St. John notes also that even death should be understood as providential, for, by our death, God
checks "our decline into greater evil and [stems] the tide of wickedness...out of fidelity to His own lovingkindness."
God's providence is evident when Cain is born. Eve is prompted to name him "I have begotten," in the Hebrew, "qayin,"
or Cain. In addition to his name, she expresses delight in the child as a gift of God: "I have gained a man through God" (vs.
4:1). Thus, she is able to acknowledge God's providential care for her in and through her birth-giving.
Note that the sons of Adam are moved by God's beneficence to bring offerings. "Cain brought of the fruits of the earth as a
sacrifice to the Lord. And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his sheep and of his fatlings" (vs. 4:3,4). However, there
was in Cain's offering a failure of true gratitude. About this, St. Didymus the Blind observes, "For Abel's sincerity is
manifest: he offers of his firstborn considering it necessary to reserve for God the most precious things, from which he also
chose the fatlings. This is what Cain should have done, bringing the first fruits of the fields. For it is especially appropriate
to offer the firstfruits to God..." because of His munificent providence to the human race.
God's providential care is especially manifest as He responds to Cain's sullen reaction when the Lord "regarded not" his
sacrifice (vs. 4:5). See how God lovingly seeks to curb Cain in his passions: "If you do well, will you not be accepted?
And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it" (vs. 4:7). In His
prescience, God was seeking to avert the tragedy that followed (Gen. 4:8-11), but did not force Cain to "do the right thing."
Once again, providentially, God greatly respected the freedom He has bestowed upon us.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
