Have you ever heard of the term scapegoat? The scapegoat was literally an animal where everyone would lay their hands on the animal, therefore, lay their sins on the animal, and then slaughter it as a sacrifice in place of the people who sinned. It’s something else taking the blame and dying in our place.
Today we hear a lot of scapegoating in Genesis. Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent and eventually they blame God. We always read this story and think how could they do that, but we do the same all the time. We sin and it’s everyone else’s fault. We sin and refuse to take any blame. We sin and we blame God for the bad we did. We do this all the time.
Just think if Adam would have watched over the garden, like he was tasked with, Eve would have never had the opportunity to talk to the serpent. Gentlemen just think if you watch over your families as you have been tasked and worked to rid the serpent out of your life and your wife’s life and your children’s life. Just think if Adam would have owned up to his sin and his wife’s sin. Just think if Eve would have taken ownership of her failing instead of blaming the serpent or God or owned the failing for Adam as well. Just think if Adam or Eve would have asked for forgiveness. This would have been a totally different story.
Just think if YOU take ownership of your sin and run to the Father for confession instead of running away from the Father and hiding as Adam and Eve did because of our sin. We fall into the work of the devil when we think we have nothing to confess or we think we don’t need confession. What we say is that we don’t need the Lord and His mercy and forgiveness. We then are like Adam and Eve and make ourselves equal to God, when we know we need Him. Run to Him. Do your duties to be on guard.
BUT, the good news is at the end of Genesis we have the protoevangelium, the “first gospel.” Gospel means good news and this is the first good news we hear of a savior. “Enmity between your offspring and hers. He will strike at your head, while you strike at His heel.” This is the good news that Jesus Christ will come and strike the serpent and how evil is made subjugated. We hear the first news of a God who loves us so much that He came to save us from our sin. So run to this loving Father in the sacraments and in prayer as individuals, but also as a family of faith gathered together in this parish.
Fr. Rafal and I were on retreat with the priests and bishop of the diocese this week. It was very fruitful and we thank you for allowing us this time away to refill and refresh and recharge in the Lord and His grace. I encourage you all to stop and take time to retreat as well. Whether that be Cursillo or TEC or Quest or the Whitehouse retreats or any of the retreats offered around. Please take advantage of not a vacation, but time with the Lord. If you’ve never had the opportunity, try a silent retreat, believe it or not it’s one of my favorite experiences. In the quiet and silence you truly hear the Lord. Make sure you pause and pray everyday, but especially in retreat.
Thank you to all who made the parish picnic a huge success. Thank you to the picnic committee for all of their amazing work. Matt & Ashley Daly, Joe & Amber Terwelp, Zach & Stephanie Maas, Brock & Jennifer Sousa, Cole & Lauren Terwelp, Neil & Jenn Russell and Cody & Shawnee Deters. What a great team and most have no idea how much work they really put in to making this event amazing! I cannot thank them enough and I hope if you see any of them that you take the time to thank them as well. Also thank you to the multitudes that volunteer so willingly and work so hard to make this event such a success. Their hard work makes this fun event an opportunity to not only support our school, but reach out to the community. Thank you all. You make our parish what it is. Alive in the Spirit and Christ in action in you.
- Rev. Steven Arisman
