1st Reading – Genesis 3:9-15
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me–
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”
Our first reading recounts the pivotal moment in the Garden of Eden when God confronts Adam and Eve after they have disobeyed his command not to eat from the forbidden tree.
It’s impossible to know whether this is an accurate historical account, exact in every detail, because it was not intended as such. Rather, it was meant to convey theological truths God wanted to reveal.
After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
The tree in question is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17). The specific type of tree is not mentioned, but it was probably a fig tree, especially in light of the reference in Genesis 3:7 to fashioning loincloths from fig leaves.
Medieval art often depicted the fruit as an apple, playing on the similarity between the Latin words mālum (“apple”) and mălum (“an evil, a misfortune”).
The LORD God then called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
Because the command not to eat of the tree was given directly to Adam (Genesis 2:16), and Eve received the command secondhand, God questions Adam first.
God obviously knows where Adam is and what he has done. He asks this question to prompt Adam to come forward and to admit his disobedience.
We can also think of this question as God asking, “Where are you in your relationship to me?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked,
Two different terms are used in Genesis to refer to the nakedness of the couple. Immediately after their creation, the term is ârôm, which simply means “uncovered”; however, êrōm, the term used here, means “exposed.”
In verse 7 (just before this passage), Adam and Eve sewed together fig leaves to cover themselves, indicating that a lack of clothing is not the issue.
The word êrōm only appears in the Bible ten times, and it always connotes some kind of spiritual deprivation. Adam is fully aware of their inability to hide their sin from God — they are exposed.
so I hid myself.”
Adam’s fear and sense of nakedness symbolize the loss of innocence and the immediate consequences of disobedience.
The friendship Adam and Eve shared with God has been broken.
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? You have eaten, then, from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
God’s questions are rhetorical, designed to make Adam confront his sin.
Adam thought that by eating from the tree he would be able to decide for himself what was good and what was evil — that he would become like God.
Instead, he simply gained the knowledge to discern between the two.
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me – she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.”
Adam shifts the blame to Eve and indirectly to God (“the woman you put here with me”).
The LORD God then asked the woman, “Why did you do such a thing?” The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”
Like Adam, Eve also tries to shift the blame, this time to the serpent. Both of them are unrepentant and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions.
Notice how harmony between man and woman has also been fractured.
Then the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; on your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life.
The serpent is banned and condemned to a life of humiliation, forced to eat dust, the very symbol of death and decay.
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”
This verse is often seen as the protoevangelium, the first gospel or hint of redemption. The enmity between the serpent and the woman and their offspring points to the ongoing struggle between good and evil. “He will crush your head” is seen as a prophecy of Christ defeating Satan, while “you will strike his heel” suggests that the serpent (Satan) will cause harm but will ultimately be defeated.
The Church teaches that Christ, the “new Adam,” entered a garden (Gethsemane) and took upon himself the curse and sin of the first Adam; his suffering and death on the wood of a tree transformed that tree into the new Tree of Life. Jesus rejected the lies of evil and walked the path that Adam was intended to walk.
Further, the Church has always seen in the woman the mother of the promised Savior; the Virgin Mary is the new Eve.
“The knot of Eve’s disobedience was untied by Mary’s obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith” (Saint Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, III, 22, 4).
2nd Reading – 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke,
we too believe and therefore we speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
Therefore, we are not discouraged;
rather, although our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,
should be destroyed,
we have a building from God,
a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
Today we begin a five-week study of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
In today’s reading, Paul expresses confidence in the resurrection and eternal life through faith in Christ, encouraging believers that their present sufferings are temporary and preparing them for an eternal, heavenly dwelling.
Brothers and sisters: Since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we too believe and therefore we speak,
Paul begins this discourse by quoting Psalm 116:10 to emphasize the relationship between faith and proclamation. Genuine belief naturally leads to declaring that faith.
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and place us with you in his presence.
Paul’s confidence is in God, who raised Jesus from the dead and who will also raise all those who believe in Jesus.
“He who raised Jesus from the dead will raise us also if we do His will and walk in His commandments and love the things which He loved, abstaining from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking and false witness” [Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. A.D. 135), (Second) Letter To The Philippians, 2].
Everything indeed is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.
The spread of God’s grace leads to increased thanksgiving, ultimately glorifying God. Paul sees the expansion of grace and gratitude as intertwined goals of his ministry.
Therefore, we are not discouraged; rather, although our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.
Paul contrasts the outer self with the inner self, the unseen with the seen, the transitory with the eternal.
Eternal glory is the product of temporary affliction willingly endured.
“Consider, dearly beloved, that life’s troubles, even if distressing, are still of short duration, whereas the good things that will come to us in the next life are eternal and everlasting. ‘What is seen is transitory,’ Scripture says, but ‘what is not seen is eternal.’ Accordingly, let us endure what is passing without complaint and not desist from virtue’s struggle so that we may enjoy the good things that are eternal and last forever” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 392), Homilies On The Second Epistle To the Corinthians, 9.3].
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
Paul compares the mortal body to an “earthly tent,” a temporary dwelling, and contrasts it with the “building from God,” an eternal, heavenly body. This metaphor reinforces the hope of a future, imperishable existence with God, providing comfort and assurance to believers.
Gospel – Mark 3:20-35
Jesus came home with his disciples.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,”
and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,
“How can Satan drive out Satan?
If a kingdom is divided against itself,
that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house is divided against itself,
that house will not be able to stand.
And if Satan has risen up against himself
and is divided, he cannot stand;
that is the end of him.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property
unless he first ties up the strong man.
Then he can plunder the house.
Amen, I say to you,
all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be
forgiven them.
But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will never have forgiveness,
but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”
For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
His mother and his brothers arrived.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Today’s gospel reading is an example of intercalation, a literary technique where one story is inserted within another, creating a “sandwich” structure that allows each narrative to help interpret the other.
In this case, the interruption of the family’s attempt to seize Jesus by the confrontation with the scribes enhances the theme of misunderstanding Jesus’ true identity and mission by both his family and the religious authorities.
Jesus came home with his disciples.
This home is probably not in Nazareth, Jesus’ childhood home, but in Capernaum, his home during his Galilean ministry (Matthew 4:13).
Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.
The presence of the crowd demonstrates Jesus’ growing influence and the level of intense interest in his teachings and miracles. Normal activities such as eating have become impossible.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Jesus’ relatives (later identified as his mother and his brothers) come to take charge of him. Why they believe that he is out of his mind isn’t stated, but it’s understandable that his family would be concerned about throngs of sick and demon-possessed people preventing him from being able to eat or carry on a normal life, not to mention the fact that he has been arousing the hostility of the religious leaders.
Assuming their actions were motivated by fear for his safety, their concern betrays their lack of faith in the authenticity of his claims.
The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
The story about Jesus’ family is paused as a new story is inserted. The scribes also misunderstand Jesus, but it is not out of concern for him. They acknowledge his extraordinary power, but they ascribe this power to the prince of demons.
This is a serious attempt to undermine his authority and discredit his miracles.
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?
Jesus begins his rebuttal with a rhetorical question, pointing out the illogical nature of the scribes’ accusation, preparing to dismantle their argument through parables.
(The scribes speak of “Beelzebul” (Baal-zebul, or “lord of the temple”), while Jesus speaks of Satan. Both are references to the same spirit of evil.)
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.
Jesus points out that internal division leads to collapse. If he were casting out demons by Satan’s power, that would be a self-destructive and nonsensical division within Satan’s realm.
In other words, their allegation is absurd.
But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.
A second parable: Jesus likens his ministry to binding a strong man (Satan) before plundering his house (freeing those oppressed by demons), indicating his superior power and authority over evil forces.
The scribes have accused Jesus of working for Satan; in fact, Jesus is incapacitating the evil one and bringing his house of evil to ruin.
“Mention has been made of the unclean spirit whom the Lord shows to be divided against himself. The Holy Spirit, however, is not divided against himself. Rather He makes those whom He gathers together undivided against themselves, by dwelling within those who have been cleansed, that they may be like those of whom it is written in the Acts of the Apostles (4:32), ‘The community of believers was of one heart and mind’” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (between 392 and 418 AD), Sermons On Selected Lessons Of The New Testament, 21,35].
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus highlights the gravity of attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, defining it as an unforgivable sin because it represents a willful, persistent rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Jesus’ identity and mission.
In his encyclical letter Dominum et Vivificantem (The Lord and Giver of Life), issued on May 18, 1986, Pope Saint John Paul II taught that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is considered an unforgivable sin not because God’s mercy is limited but because the individual persists in a state of unrepentance. The person who commits this sin rejects the very means by which they could be forgiven, thus placing themselves beyond the reach of God’s mercy:
“Blasphemy [against the Holy Spirit] does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross and the Resurrection of Christ. … Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit consists precisely in the radical refusal to accept this forgiveness, of which he is the intimate giver and which presupposes the genuine conversion which he brings about in the conscience.”
His mother and his brothers arrived.
We return to the story about Jesus’ family attempting to remove him from his ministry.
The Greek word here for “brother” is adelphos, which can denote a range of family connections. It is used throughout the New Testament to describe various relationships ranging from biological siblings to spiritual kinship among believers.
Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
In a society where familial bonds and obligations supersede all other responsibilities, Jesus makes a bold statement. He claims that real kinship is determined by acceptance of the will of God, not by blood or marriage.
Notice how Jesus’ biological family, who misunderstand, are outside and must send word through others to communicate with Jesus. Those in the attentive crowd, who are open to Jesus’ teachings, are inside and “seated in the circle.”
Mark’s gospel frequently explores this theme of insiders and outsiders, often challenging conventional notions to demonstrate who truly belongs to Jesus’ community. This doesn’t mean that he rejects or hates outsiders, but that relationships of the soul are more important than any relationship of nature.
True familial bonds are formed through a shared commitment to doing God’s will, broadening the concept of family to include all who align themselves with God’s purposes.
Connections and Themes
- The consequences of sin and the promise of redemption. Our first reading describes the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, which introduced sin into the world. We can see the consequences of sin in Adam and Eve’s responses to God’s questioning and in the subsequent curse placed on the serpent. This theme is echoed in the gospel reading, where Jesus’ family and the scribes’ misunderstanding of him show how sin distorts the perception of truth and goodness. Both readings point to the presence of sin and its impact on humanity’s relationship with God, but also hint at the promise of redemption. In Genesis, God speaks of enmity between the serpent and the woman, often interpreted as a foreshadowing of Christ’s victory over sin. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ mission to confront and defeat the powers of evil leads ultimately to humanity’s redemption.
- Faith and the eternal perspective. In our second reading, Paul speaks about the spirit of faith and the transient nature of earthly life compared to the eternal glory promised by God. He encourages believers to focus on the unseen and eternal rather than the seen and temporary. This theme is further illustrated in the gospel reading, where Jesus redefines his family, saying: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” This invites believers to adopt a perspective that values spiritual kinship and obedience to God over earthly ties. Both readings encourage a perspective shift from the temporal to the eternal, aligning Paul’s exhortation to focus on eternal glory with Jesus’ call to prioritize spiritual obedience and relationships.
- Kinship redefined. In our first reading, the fallout from the original sin introduces conflict and fundamentally alters human relationships, disrupting the original harmony between humanity and God, and among humans themselves. In the gospel reading, Jesus redefines family based on spiritual kinship and obedience to God’s will, presenting a pathway to restored relationships within the community of believers. Together, these readings challenge believers to recognize the impact of sin, to focus on the eternal promises of God, and to understand their place in the spiritual family of Christ through faith and obedience. By the power of God, we are made a new people with a new identity and a new destiny. By the power of God, we will enjoy the fullness of redemption.
Sunday Readings 