Genesis 1

Genesis 1:1

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD

[Genesis 1, 1 to 2, 3]

IN the beginning¹ God created heaven and earth². The earth was void³ and empty⁴: darkness was on the face of the deep⁵, and the Spirit of God⁶ moved over the waters. And God said⁷: “Be light made!” and light was made. This was the first day⁸.

¹ In the beginning of time.

² Heaven and earth. i. e. both the visible and invisible worlds. This sentence relates to the whole of creation generally; what follows, to the creation of the earth in particular.

³ Void. Which means that it was an unformed mass, all confusion and chaos.

⁴ Empty. Without life in it, or without any plants, animals, or men on it.

⁵ Deep. i. e. on the unformed mass of primeval matter. This mass was wrapped in gloom and darkness; and, being soft and fluid, is styled “the waters”.

⁶ Spirit of God. i. e. God, who is a pure Spirit in opposition to the unformed and lifeless mass of mere matter, breathed upon it in order to give life, movement and form to it, and to prepare it for a dwelling-place of men and beasts.

⁷ Said. i. e. commanded.

⁸ First day. The sacred writer divides the whole work of Creation, as we now see it before our eyes, into six days followed by the Sabbath or day of rest, in order to impress upon his readers that man should follow the example of God, and work six days and rest in God on the seventh. He consequently apportions a work to each day. By “day” he means exactly the same as we mean, namely, a space of time consisting of twelve hours of work and twelve of rest. God Himself does not work in time, but He can be likened to a man who works six days and finishes all

1* — 1. CREATION OF THE WORLD.

On the second day God said: “Let there be a firmament¹ made amidst the waters; and let it divide² the waters from the waters.” And it was so³. God called the firmament heaven⁴.

On the third day God said: “Let the waters that are under the heaven⁵ be gathered into one place⁶; and let the dry land⁷ appear.” And it was so done. God called the dry land earth; and the gathered waters, seas. He also said “Let the earth⁸ bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its kind.” And it was so done⁹.

The fourth day God said: “Let there be lights¹⁰ made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and

his work in one week. As to the real space of time which the formation of the world required and about which Geologists inquire, the sacred writer says nothing at all. His dramatic narrative is quite independent of it.

¹ Firmament. In other words, the atmosphere which surrounds our earth to the height of about 45 miles, and looks to our eyes like a blue dome.

² Divide. The firmament was to divide one part of the waters from the other part in this way. God made a considerable body of water to ascend, in the form of moisture (clouds), into the atmosphere, thus separating it from the water which remains and flows on the earth.

³ It was so. i. e. it was as God had commanded.

⁴ Heaven. This is not the heaven where the angels and saints dwell, and contemplate God. A distinction must be made between that heaven, and the visible, natural heaven, i. e. the firmament.

⁵ Under the heaven. i. e. below the atmosphere, or, in other words, the waters that are on the earth.

⁶ One place. This one place is the great ocean, out of the midst of which the five parts of the earth rise.

⁷ Dry land. God made the water to gather itself together into rivers, lakes, and seas, and the dry land to appear. How this happened is described in Psalms 103, 6 and 8: “Above the mountains shall the waters stand… The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which Thou hast founded for them.” The whole earth was covered with water. Then at the command of God, certain parts of the earth’s surface raised themselves up. These became dry, because the water ran off them; and the lower parts of the earth’s surface, towards which the water flowed, became the sea. About a quarter of the surface of the globe (accurately 27 per cent) is dry land, and nearly three quarters (accurately 73 per cent), water.

⁸ Earth. Which was now dry.

⁹ So done. God made plants of every kind to grow out of the dry ground, and gave them the power of producing their own seed. From these seeds there sprang new plants, and thus the world of plants never died out.

¹⁰ Lights. God made the sun, the moon, and the stars, to give light and warmth to the earth. The heavenly bodies were to serve also as measures of time. The rising of the sun brings day to the earth, and its setting, night. According to the relative position of the sun and moon to the earth, time is divided into years, and seasons, and months.

— L. CREATION OF THE WORLD.

let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.” And it was so done. God made the sun, moon, and countless stars, and set them in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth, and to rule the day and the night.

The fifth day God said: “Let the waters bring forth the creeping creatures having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.” And God created fish and birds of every kind, and He blessed them saying: “Increase and multiply.“¹

On the sixth day God said: “Let the earth bring forth the living creature² in its kind: cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so done. At last God created man, and gave him dominion over all the rest. And God saw all the works that He had made, and they were very good³.

The seventh day God rested⁴, and He blessed⁵ that day and made it holy.

COMMENTARY.

The beautiful Order of Creation. The very manner and order in which the sacred writer relates the creation, serves to bring out the order and mutual relation of things created. God had already created light on the first day, but this light was not the light of the sun. It was on the fourth day that God made the sun, to be the giver of light to the earth. God made light first, because without light and without warmth, which is connected with it, there could be no growth, no life, no order in nature.

¹ Multiply. They were to multiply of themselves, ever increasing in number. As plants propagate themselves by means of their seeds, so birds and fishes can, by the blessing of God, lay eggs, which in their turn become birds and fishes.

² Living creature. i. e. God created the mammals which are the highest race of beasts. God first created the lower and then the higher classes of animals; and, last of all, He created man, the highest of all visible creatures. How God created man, will be told in the third chapter.

³ Very good. Everything was as God’s goodness and wisdom desired it to be; everything fulfilled the end for which He had created it. He disposed everything in such a way that nothing could be better or more exactly adapted to its purpose than it was.

⁴ Rested. Man requires rest after he has worked hard, because he is tired. Can God then be tired? No, God could create thousands of worlds, without being tired. The words, ‘He rested’, mean this: that after the sixth day, after the creation of man, God created no new kind of being.

⁵ Blessed. He ordained that this day should bring a blessing both to soul and body on those who keep it holy.

— I. CREATION OF THE WORLD.

God made the atmosphere on the second day, because neither plants, nor animals, nor men can live without air. Sound also is impossible without air, so that without it there could have been neither speech nor hearing.

On the third day God made the earth to be dry, and plants to grow on it. But plants, to live and thrive, require something besides light and air. Therefore it was that God had already on the second day caused part of the water to remain in the air, to supply the plants with moisture from above, either by means of dew or rain.

The works of the first three days, and those of the last three, are thus related to each other as the general to the particular, or as the place and its furniture.

1st day. The light. 2nd day. The atmosphere which divided the waters. 3rd day. The dry land. 4th day. The bodies of light. 5th day. The inhabitants of the air and water: the birds and fishes. 6th day. The inhabitants of the dry land: the beasts and man.

Time began with the world. Once nothing existed but the Eternal God alone. “Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed, from eternity and to eternity Thou art, God” (Ps. 89, 2). Why does not the Psalmist say, ‘Thou wast, God’, instead of ‘Thou art, God?’ Because God is Eternal. He is not subject to the changes of time, for with God there is no past, no future, nothing but an everlasting present. “I am who am”, God said to Moses (Exod. 3, 14). God exists of and by Himself. Everything else is made by God.

God is Almighty. God created the whole world, visible and invisible, material and spiritual, out of nothing by His almighty will. His almighty power is manifested to us in creation. By His word, that is, by His will, He called into existence the earth, moon, and the whole, to us immeasurable universe, with its millions and millions of heavenly bodies. “God spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created” (Ps. 32, 9).

God works unceasingly. What then do the words, ‘He rested on the seventh day’, mean? They mean that God rested from this particular work, i. e. from creating, because the universe was finished and complete; but God does not cease from the work of conservation and of natural and supernatural providence. Our Lord says: “My Father works till now and I work” (New Test. XXVI). God is continually working for the good of His creatures, for only He who called the world into existence can sustain and govern it. If Almighty God were to withdraw His hand from the world, at that moment it would collapse and fall into ruin. Every day, every hour of life is a gift of Almighty God.

— I. CREATION OF THE WORLD.

The Sabbath. With the creation of man, God’s plan of creation was completed, and the great work of His creative love was crowned; for man is the most perfect of visible creatures. Then God rested, and appointed the seventh day for man’s rest in Him. On the Sabbath, man was to contemplate the wonders of creation, and the preservation and government of the world, and to praise and thank God. On this account the seventh day is also called “the Lord’s day”, i. e. the day set apart for the service and worship of God. On this day we ought to put aside all worldly business, and think only of our souls and their welfare, for in God alone can our souls find peace and rest. The commandment to keep holy the Sabbath is the oldest commandment that there is. Ever since the world has stood as it is, this commandment has stood with it. The very fact that the sacred writer represents God as working a week, makes Him our pattern and example, and implies a commandment for us to do the same. The law was thus given by God at the creation of the world, and hence it is that among all, even heathen, nations we find one day of rest observed in the week. It is a great impiety to desecrate God’s day.

The Nature of God. God is described as a Spirit, existing from all eternity, having life in Himself and being the cause of all created life; an omnipotent Spirit who by the sole act of His will gives existence and life to His creatures. God the Creator of heaven and earth is one God, not two or three. In the Old Testament it was above all necessary to inculcate this unity of God. The people of Israel were not yet ripe to learn the full truth of one God in three persons. But, all the same, in several passages of the Old Testament it is, as it were, hinted that there are more persons than one in God, e. g. in the first part of the history of the creation: “The Spirit of God moved over the waters.”

The Wisdom of God. Holy Scripture, or, in other words, the Holy Ghost, says explicitly that all that God made was very good. Short-sighted man should not, therefore, be audacious enough to criticise God’s work. Almighty God made everything to fulfil the end for which He destined it. The whole of creation testifies to the wisdom of God, but I will call your attention only to one or two instances. Rivers and streams, many of which are of considerable breadth, are ceaselessly flowing into the sea, carrying into it, even in one single day, a tremendous volume of water. This goes on all the year round, and has been going on for thousands of years, and yet the sea does not overflow! How is this? God has so made it that as much water is incessantly rising into the air from the sea as is being poured into it. But how is it, then, that the streams and rivers do not dry up? Whence comes that volume of water which they are continuously pouring into the sea? The mists and clouds which rise from the sea are driven over the land by the wind, and fall back on the earth in the form of either dew, fog, rain or snow. This moisture collects in the ground and forms

— I. CREATION OF THE WORLD.

springs. These springs feed the streams and rivers which carry the water back again to the sea. It is owing to this continuous circulation of water that the sea does not overflow, or the rivers dry up. Moreover, those damp exhalations supply the air with that moisture which is necessary to the life of men and beasts, and to the growth of plants. One thing more. You know that water turns foul when it remains for some time without being stirred. How is it that though it is shut in one place, the water of the sea never turns foul? The goodness of God has provided against this by the constant motion of the sea. Twice every day the water flows from the centre of the sea towards the shore, and back again. Besides this, from time to time God sends winds and storms which stir the sea to its very depths. Such phenomena as these show us the wonderful wisdom manifested in the creation and preservation of the world. In like manner all other creatures bear witness to the wisdom of God. Bees, ants, ears of corn, leaves of the trees—in a word, all things teach us to admire His wisdom. Whether we contemplate nature in its greater or lesser aspects, we must exclaim with David: “How great are Thy works, O Lord! Thou hast made all things in wisdom. The earth is filled with Thy riches” (Ps. 103, 24)¹.

The infinite Greatness and Majesty of God are also revealed to us by creation. Think how enormous this earth is! It Isaiah 24,899 miles in circumference; the total area of its surface covers 197,000,000 of square miles, the corresponding volume Isaiah 260,000 millions of cubic miles. Enormous as this seems, the sun Isaiah 1,400,000 times as large as the earth, though it is not so dense. The number of stars, most of which can be seen only through a telescope, amounts to millions, though their number cannot be accurately fixed by man. The nearest fixed star is about twenty billions of miles away from us. If, then, the universe is so great, how much greater must He be who called all these spheres into existence, and who keeps and sustains them in space, pointing out its path to each one! He “telieth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and great is His power, and of His wisdom there is no number” (Ps. 146, 4. 5). Full of awe and reverence we ought to pray in some such words as these: “Great God, we praise Thee! We praise Thy power, O Lord! The earth bows down before Thee in wonder at Thy works! Even as Thou wast in all time, so wilt Thou be to all eternity. Heaven and earth, sky and sea are full of Thy glory. All things are Thine!”

APPLICATION. God being so infinitely great and wise, we ought to be filled with the deepest reverence for His divine majesty. He is, indeed, the Eternal, the Most High, the Creator

¹ This theme is well treated in the so-called Bridgewater Treatises. — II. CREATION AND FALL OF THE ANGELS.

and Lord of the whole universe. And yet how little reverence you have borne Him hitherto! Have you not often prayed to Him carelessly? Have you never dishonoured His holy name? Have you not often transgressed His commandments? Firmly resolve, then, that you will for the future honour the Lord your God more, and serve Him more zealously. We pay honour to God by often thinking about Him and by adoring Him with reverence and devotion. St Patrick used to worship God on his knees three hundred times every day. Think more about your Lord and Creator, both to-day and for the future, and pray to Him devoutly and from your heart. Let everything you look at impel you to say thus to yourself: “I praise Thee, O great God, and worship Thy power and wisdom. As many stars as there are in the heavens, as many flowers as grow in the field, as many leaves as there are on the trees, as many drops as there are in the ocean, so many times may God be praised and magnified!”

God made the earth to be the dwelling-place of man, and has adorned it for him with divine prodigality. He has given us much more than is necessary for our existence. Are the numberless flowers which grow, necessary for life? Could we not live without the many sorts of fruit that there are? Take to heart, then, how good and generous God is towards us. Thank Him heartily for His gifts, and resolve that you will from this day forward say your grace before and after meals very devoutly.

PART I

[Genesis 1, 1-1]

THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS.

Of all the animals that God had placed upon the earth, none was more cunning than the serpent¹. Hence the devil, who was envious of the happiness of our first parents, made use of him in order to seduce them. Eve, prompted by curiosity, approaching the forbidden tree, saw a serpent near it. He began to speak², and said to her: “Why³ has God commanded you that you should not eat of every tree⁴ of paradise?” Eve answered: “Of the fruit of the trees of paradise we do eat; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God has commanded us that we should not eat, and that we should not

¹ Serpent. The devil, full of envy at the happiness possessed by Adam and Eve, and made more envious still by the thought that they were intended to attain to the everlasting happiness which he himself had forfeited, made use of the serpent by entering into it and speaking by its mouth. God allowed him no other tool, and, indeed, the cunning serpent was admirably suited for his spiteful and evil purpose.

² To speak. The serpent into which the devil had entered spoke.

³ Why. Satan did not betray his intention by saying at once: “Eat of the fruit”, but he began by cautiously asking: “Why &c.” In order that Eve might be induced to hesitate and question whether the prohibition to eat of the tree of knowledge were a legitimate one, and whether God had really meant it. Eve knew that an ordinary snake can neither reason nor speak; so she must have known that it was some spirit who spoke through the serpent. She ought to have at once perceived that it was no good spirit who thus spoke, for an angel would not have questioned God’s will, being quite certain that whatever He had commanded was for the best. Now, what ought Eve to have done? She ought either to have made no answer and fled, or she ought to have said: “God has willed it so. I do not ask why, because God knows best what is good for us.” Instead of this, Eve let herself be drawn into conversation with the devil, and thereby he had already gained half his object.

⁴ Of every tree. By these words the devil sought to make the woman feel the burden of the restriction and its arbitrariness on the part of God.

2* — IV. THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS.

touch it¹, lest, perhaps², we die.” The serpent said to the woman: “No, surely, you shall not die³ if you eat of the fruit of the tree; but, rather⁴, your eyes⁵ shall be opened, and you shall be as gods⁶, knowing good and evil.” Hearing this, Eve gave way to pride, and she saw that the fruit was good and pleasant to behold. She took and ate of the fruit, and gave to her husband, and he also ate. Thus was the first sin committed.

By this first sin they lost sanctifying grace, which was the life of their soul; they lost the immortality of their body; their eyes were opened⁷, and they saw with shame that they were naked. In their shame and confusion they began to sew fig-leaves together, in order to cover their nakedness. But soon they heard the voice of God calling them, and they hid themselves⁸ among

¹ Not touch it Why this command? So that they might keep away from even the occasion of sin.

² Lest, perhaps. In this sentence there occur two remarkable words: “lest, perhaps”: for God had not said: “Perhaps you may die”, and we can see by this answer of Eve that she already half doubted whether God’s threat had been meant seriously.

³ Shall not die Now the devil becomes more bold, and directly contradicts what God had said, making the Lord God to be a liar.

⁴ Rather. i. e. on the contrary.

⁵ Your eyes. The eyes of their spirit. How had their eyes been closed hitherto? They possessed great knowledge, but all the same they knew nothing about sin; and therein lay their happiness. By holding out to Eve the prospect of attaining to a further knowledge, Satan wished to excite in her a sinful curiosity.

⁶ As gods Not only like to God, but as God. By this he the devil wished to make Adam and Eve proud. He represented Almighty God as a deceiver, who withheld this knowledge from them, not out of love, but out of a jealous fear lest they should become like to Him. He wished to destroy Eve’s faith in the love and truth of God, and arouse in her instead a mistrust of Him, pride, and sinful curiosity. Alas, he succeeded in his purpose. Instead of being indignant at Satan’s blasphemous speech, Eve took pleasure in the prospect held out to her. She allowed a presumptuous desire and sinful curiosity to take possession of her heart; and because it promised so much to her, she now saw that the fruit of the tree was good and pleasant to behold. She longed for it now, and taking some, she ate, and then she persuaded Adam to eat of it also. Revelation has given us no explanation of how Adam was induced to eat of the forbidden fruit. It is left to our conjecture.

⁷ Opened. But not in the way they had intended. They knew evil, but this knowledge brought them no happiness, only restlessness, fear and misery. They now knew that they had been deceived, that they had sinned grievously, and had deserved punishment. Having lost their innocence, they were ashamed of being naked, and covered their bodies with fig-leaves.

⁸ They hid themselves. It was formerly their greatest happiness when God condescended to speak with them. Now they trembled when they heard His voice and

— IV. THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS.

the trees. And God said: “Adam, where art thou?"$^(1)$ And Adam answered: “I heard Thy voice, and I was afraid, because I was naked$^(2)$, and I hid myself.” And God said: “Who has told$^(3)$ thee that thou art naked, but that thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?” Adam replied: “The woman whom Thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me of the fruit, and I did eat.” And the Lord said to the woman: “Why hast thou done this?” She replied: “The serpent deceived me$^(4)$, and I did eat.’

COMMENTARY.

Sin. Adam and Eve transgressed the law of God. It is true that they were persuaded to do so, but still the devil did not force Eve to eat of the forbidden tree, nor did Eve oblige Adam to do so. It was of their own free-will that they sinned.

The manifold sin of Eve, its origin and process. She first sinned by thought, in a twofold way: she doubted of God’s love, “why has He forbidden us” without any apparent reason? and next she doubted of His veracity, “lest perhaps” we shall die. Then she sinned by desire, a desire of pride wishing to be like God, and a desire of the flesh wishing to eat of the fruit, because it looked tempting. Lastly she sinned by deed. Eating of the fruit she boldly and proudly disobeyed God’s commandment, and then inveigled Adam into the same grave sin of disobedience.

Was their sin a grievous sin? Our first parents undoubtedly transgressed the law of God in an important matter, for the prohibition to eat of the fruit was the only positive law which God had given them.

tried to hide themselves. We cannot hide ourselves from God; therefore, it was folly on their part to try to do so. From whence did this folly come? From sin. Sin blinds man and makes his understanding dull, so that he can no longer rightly understand the most elementary religious truths.

$^(1)$ Where art thou? This meant not only. In what place art thou? but also. In what condition art thou? What has happened to thee? Where is thine innocence? Where is thy good conscience?

$^(2)$ Naked. It was not only their bodies which were naked, but also their souls, which had lost their robe of innocence and sanctifying grace.

$^(3)$ Who has told? Why did God ask this? Did He not already know what had taken place? Yes, but He wished Adam to confess his guilt. Adam did so; he acknowledged and did not deny his sin, but at the same time he excused himself and tried to lay the blame on Eve. She, in turn, laid the blame on the serpent.

$^(4)$ Deceived me. Eve knew now that she had been deceived. The serpent had pretended that they would be much greater and happier through their disobedience, instead of which they already felt abased and miserable!

— IV. THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS.

Moreover, on its observance depended their own happiness and that of their descendants, for Almighty God had threatened them with death if they disobeyed Him. They also transgressed the command wilfully, as explained above. Their sin was, therefore, a mortal sin, and a very grievous one. It was not only one sin, but many. It was a sin of proud revolt, of unbelief, of lust, of disobedience, and of ingratitude. God had shown them so much love and had given them so much that they owed Him the greatest gratitude; instead of which they repaid Him with the grossest ingratitude. Moreover, the command was one which they could easily have kept; for they were possessed of greater knowledge than we are, and knew God’s infinite love, holiness, and justice much better than we do.

The consequences of their sin were very grave. Satan had pretended that by their disobedience they would be raised, and become as God; but the very opposite took place. They were now cast down from their former high position, and were less like God than they had been, because they had lost sanctifying grace and all other supernatural gifts. Having renounced God by their sin, they were no longer His children and heirs of heaven, but had become children of the devil and heirs of hell! They still retained the natural gifts which made them like to God, but even these gifts were marred. Their reason was obscured, so that they could no longer recognize the truth as they had done, as was proved by the foolish way in which they tried to hide themselves from God. Their hearts and wills were now infected by evil; sinful inclinations were kindled in their hearts, of which they felt ashamed, and which made them hide themselves. Their happiness was gone. They were still in paradise, and paradise was as beautiful as ever, but they felt miserable, because their consciences were guilty and their hearts were full of fear and unrest. “Tribulation and anguish is on every soul of man that worketh evil” (Rom. 2, 9). Those only are happy who have a good conscience, and the peace of God in their hearts. All the possessions in the world cannot make a man happy if he has not got inward peace. But there is no peace for the wicked.

Original sin. The sin of our first parents injured not only themselves but also all their posterity. Their supernatural gifts were given to them not for themselves alone, but for all those who were to come after them. If Adam and Eve had preserved these gifts, their children would have inherited them, and would have come into the world in a state of grace. But our first parents having sinned, and being no longer in a state of grace, their sinfulness has passed down to their children, so that men are now born into the world in a state of sin. The loss of grace with all its supernatural gifts in the children born of Adam is a matter of great displeasure and wrath to God, because contrary to His divine will and institution. Thus they are children of wrath.

— IV. THE FALL OF OUR FIRST PARENTS.

APPLICATION. The devil induced Adam and Eve to sin by means of lies. Therefore our Lord says: “The devil is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8, 44). He is the father, i. e. the origin of lies. Have you never imitated him? Hate lies, for they come from the devil! Have nothing to do with them, or you will be a child of the devil. God is truth, and desires and loves only what is true. Stick to the truth if you wish to be a child of God.

Perhaps you think that, if you had been in Eve’s place, you would not have allowed yourself to be overcome by temptation. Have you never then taken anything which you have been forbidden to take, such as sugar, fruit &c.? Has not God forbidden you to pilfer or to be greedy, quite as much as He forbade Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of knowledge? Further, did not God give you sanctifying grace in holy Baptism? Has He not placed you in the paradise of His holy Church, in order that you may live a holy life, and attain to the heavenly paradise? Have you not by means of your religious instruction acquired great knowledge, so that you know perfectly well what is right and what is wrong? Therefore, when you offend against the law of God, you have quite as little excuse as Eve. Guard against sin, and firmly resolve never again to offend God wilfully.

Eve’s first temptation came from without. We too, as long as we live, shall have to encounter various temptations. They come partly from without, such as those arising from bad companions or other external occasions of sin, and partly from within, from our own bad inclinations, such as anger, sloth, self-will &c. They can also come from the direct suggestions of the evil one. Eve’s fall should be a warning to us not to allow ourselves to be seduced by temptations to sin. Had Eve kept away from the forbidden tree, she would not have fallen. Keep away, therefore, from all occasions of sin, or else you are meeting sin half-way. If a bad thought occurs to you, do not dwell on it, but drive it from you, or bad desires will follow bad thoughts. If the Tempter or your own passions whisper to you; “Such and such a thing would not be a great sin! God would not treat it severely!” turn your thoughts at once to the just and holy God who would be outraged by that sin, and remind yourself that sin is the greatest of all evils! Above all things, beware of sinful curiosity. He who wishes to see and hear everything, and who does not shut his eyes and ears when he sees or hears anything evil, will soon have his heart corrupted, and will lose his innocence. Say often and devoutly: “Lead us not into temptation. Defend me, my God, against temptations to evil. Give me the grace to resist them steadfastly!”

— 24 IV. GOD’S PUNISHMENT AND CURSE.—PROMISE OF A REDEEMER.