After Adam and Eve sinned and ate from the forbidden tree, God punished them. The Catechism explains clearly the consequences of the original sin: “Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness. They become afraid of the God, of whom they have conceived a distorted image – that of a God jealous of his prerogatives. The harmony in which they had found themselves, thanks to original justice, is now destroyed: the control of the soul’s spiritual faculties over the body is shattered; the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions, their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination.
Harmony with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man. Because of man, creation is now subject to its bondage to decay. Finally, the consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will “return to the ground”, for out of it he was taken. Death makes its entrance into human history.”
Brokeness
Because of their original sin, so much is broken. We now suffer from concupiscence, the disordered inclination to sin, as well as physical illness and suffering. We no longer trust God. Men and women find it very difficult to live their natural roles in marriage. Everyone has to face death.
The Cure
In today’s Gospel, our Lord gives the cure to the terrible effects of original sin. “Go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.” – Mk 10:52. Our faith is what will l make us whole. Only God can heal us from the effects of original sin and bring us back into Communion with Him. And He desires to give us this gift! But we must cooperate with him, have faith, and take action as the blind man did. The blind man did not sit idly by waiting for Jesus to come and ask him what he wanted. He also wasn’t discouraged by others’ rebukes. He continued to have faith, persevere and pursue Christ. We must also act as he did, actively following Christ and persevering despite difficulties and rebukes from others.
Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, make time every day for Christ with daily prayer, actively work and ask God’s help to get rid of your vices. Do these things as well as ask God mercy as the blind man did, and He can make you whole.
