The Gifts of God

   “All the things of this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.”  St. Ignatius of Loyola

   God created earth as a paradise.  Man and woman were to live in eternal bliss in the paradise He created.  They were without need; everything was provided.  There was no sickness, no sorrow and no death.  There was only one rule; do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

   The temptation of being able to know good and evil was too great.  Man wanted to be like God.  They wanted to define good and evil for themselves.  As a result they were banished from paradise.

   The Garden of Eden was lost due to sin.  The paradise created by God has been despoiled in many ways by its’ misuse and abuse.  We have not been good stewards of God’s gifts.  Instead, we have used them for our own benefit; selfishly seeking profit and reward by their use.

   Yet God still wishes for humanity to exist in paradise as was originally intended.  The gifts of paradise were lost due to sin, but they can be regained through faith and love of God.  We have free will; we can accept or reject God and His gifts.  We can accept or reject the redemption won by Jesus on the cross.

   The gifts of God are still there, though besmirched by sin.  We can choose to rejoice in those gifts and give glory to God.  We have the choice of accepting His love or rejecting it.  God offers His gifts to all, the good and the bad alike.  He wishes all mankind to accept those gifts and return to the paradise for which they were created.

   That paradise is available in heaven but only through God’s mercy and love for us.  Accept His gifts and treasure them.  Love Him in all ways and serve Him in all you do.

Father, through our sin we forfeited the paradise You created.

Help us to recognize Your gifts and love for us.

May we live our life to please You.

May we regain the paradise for which we are intended.

Amen