Advent meditation: When the serpent came to tempt Eve, she said she was not allowed to eat or touch the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve knew that although God only commanded her not to eat it, touching it would be a near occasion of sin! Unfortunately, Eve did not follow her own advice, and her and Adam fell into sin. Our Lady, since she was immaculately conceived, was able to resist all temptation and freely chose not to fall into sin as Eve did. In our own lives, we should follow the example of Our Lady and remember not to even go near occasions of sin, lest we too fall into them.
Prayer: Most Holy Virgin Mary, Immaculate Conception, the new Eve, help protect us from every near occasion of sin.
Scripture: Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:1-7)
