Echoes of Eden

It struck me, meditating on the First Reading of today's Gospel of the First Sunday of Lent, Year A, that the original sin, committed by our first parents, no matter if you believe in the story literally or metaphorically, echoes throughout the ages in the Fourth Commandment of God: "Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you." (Ex 20:12)


The story on original sin conveys a message of what is the outcome of refusal to respect the boundaries set by God, our loving Father, for our welfare, security and prosperity. It tells us what happens when we take liberty to 'feel free and limitless' and to go beyond those boundaries and how dearly we pay, finding ourselves naked and helpless, pointing fingers at everyone else but not ourselves. We may have instant incentives, rewards of this freedom, little pleasures that pass quickly, leaving bitter taste and lack of sense and direction, feelings of being lost...

The message of story on original in has been planted in the Fourth Commandment of God, reminding us of the consequences of such attitude and disrespect for the order of the world set by God Himself who loves and cares. This commandment simply echoes the original sin and its sad story, warning us to stay safe and blessed...

When I was a parish priest in Musoma Cathedral, a young desperate man came to my office once, knelt down and asked for help weeping terribly. He did something really bad, disrespecting his parents and his life turned into nightmare. He came to understand that this was a curse of disobeying his parents and making them cry and hurt. He asked me to summon them so he could ask for their forgiveness acknowledging his misconduct and sins.

I did so. It too a long time for his parents to come to terms with him and to accept his genuine tears and apologies. Eventually, they were able to forgive and embrace him as there long lost son.

In my own life, not once, not twice I was on the similar situation. Though I dislike to reveal my charitable works, but this time I will make an exemption - just for the sake of the story. I have a few young people whom I helped on different scale. And they offended me in different ways, and this hurts like hell...

One, an orphan, I was able to put through education from secondary school, high school up to university, owes me a lot of money. I don't want to go into details for the sake of anonymity, hoping he will come to senses one day and amends his ways and does reparation. But he has not done this so far, and I've been waiting for his remorse for years now.

I believe strongly that our relationship, respect and due honor we owe to our parents, elders, guardians and those who matter a lot in terms of guiding and formatting us - reflects and shapes our lives now and in the future. I believe strongly in the power of their blessing and curse. I have seen this so many times. Yes, we may have our difficulties with difficult parents and guardians who not always are angels or people of wisdom, yet due respect and honorable ways of treating them and dealing with them anoints ourselves and our lives with the self-fulfilling promise put by God Himself in writing in the Fourth Commandment and empowered by Him who never jokes in this matters.

And the power of this commandment does not depend on the actual feelings of parents to us who hurst them. They may not care, they may not pay attention, but the power of the Fourth Commandment will work anyways...

The highly charged - with the Holy Spirit lights and power - season of Lent is an opportune time to give a serious look to matters of our relationships with our parents, guardians and all those we owe due respect, honor, love and gratitude. If they are already dead, and there are reasons for believing that we lack their blessing in our lives because we failed to love, respect and honor them the way we were supposed to, and we did not reconcile with them and asked their pardon before they died, the best way to make peace with them is - as I strongly believe - to ask for the Holy Mass to be offered for them and for the reparation of broken ties and relationships. If they are still alive, what stops us from making everything in our powers to make peace with them, asking for their forgiveness and forgiving them also on our part?

We may be so preoccupied with ourselves and our personal Lenten resolutions targeting only our private matters, that we may forget that healing must include also relationships with our parents, guardians, people we owe respect, gratitude and love.

God does not throw His words into the wind. He means what He says and orders. "Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you."

Stay blessed in this holy time! And do whatever you can to put a green tick when you reflect upon the Fourth Commandment of God, which warns us and echoes throughout the ages the misery caused by the original sin...