Genesis 3:1-8 / Mark 7:31-37
The darkest periods of the history of the world, or for that matter of fact, the darkest periods of the history of the Church was when human beings did not involve God in their affairs.
In World War I and World War II, where was God in human affairs?
In the period before the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, where was God in the Church affairs?
In the 1st reading, where was God in the darkest moment of the devil's temptation?
Surely God was around, but He was neither consulted nor was He asked to be involved in the conversation between the serpent and the woman.
In the darkness of the moment, Adam and Eve fell into sin, and that made them hide from God.
Sin opened their eyes, only to make them run and hide.
Whereas Jesus opened the ears and loosened the tongue of the man, and the eyes of the people were also opened to see that God has come to restore the goodness of His creation.
In fact, that was what God wanted to do for Adam and Eve when He walked in the garden in the cool of the day - He came as a friend; He came with love and forgiveness.
God will always walk with us in the moments of our temptations, and He wants to save us in the darkness of our sin.
May we open our eyes to see the light of God's love in the darkness of temptation and sin.
May we also open our ears to hear the voice of God that calls out to us to turn back to Him.
May we open our lips to call out to God to help us and save us.