– Rev José Mario O Mandía
Aside from physical evil, there is moral evil or sin. Sin arose from the free decision of those creatures with intellect and will: angels and men.
The CCC (no 311) teaches us: “Angels and men, as intelligent and free creatures, have to journey toward their ultimate destinies by their free choice and preferential love. They can therefore go astray. Indeed, they have sinned. Thus has moral evil, incommensurably more harmful than physical evil, entered the world. God is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it: ‘For almighty God. . . because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself’ (St Augustine, Enchiridion 3,11).”
In Bite-Size Theology no 50, we have seen how some angels rejected God through an irrevocable decision. They then tempted Adam and Eve to join them in their revolt against God, enticing them with a lie: “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).
And our first parents fell into the trap: “she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6).
What was the consequence of man’s betrayal of God? The supernatural and preternatural gifts were lost. The natural gifts were damaged. Human nature was wounded (though not corrupted, as Martin Luther taught).
1. THE SUPERNATURAL LEVEL. We lost sanctifying grace, our share in God’s intimate life and love. Eden symbolizes the state of grace. “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:23).
2. THE PRETERNATURAL LEVEL
(2.1) Loss of the Gift of Rectitude or Integrity. This gift had enabled man to have complete self-mastery and harmony. The loss of it led to a complete loss of harmony within man, in his relations with others, and with the rest of the created world.
(2.2) Loss of the Gift of Infused Knowledge. Man fell into ignorance. He had to struggle to acquire knowledge.
(2.3) Loss of the Gift of Immortality: “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19).
(2.4) Loss of the Gift of Impassibility: “‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children….’ And to Adam he said, ‘…in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life…. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken….’” (Genesis 3:16, 17, 19)
3. THE NATURAL LEVEL
(3.1) The loss of self-mastery (see 2.1 above) made the passions stronger, darkening the intellect and weakening the will. Freedom, which is rooted in intellect and will, is thereby limited and overpowered by the passions. At the same time, man desires to impose himself on others and grows in pride (cf I John 2:16). Man hungers for power.
(3.2) Man forgets that sexuality is for procreation, and seeks the pleasure associated with it. Sensuality (lust of the flesh – I John 2:16) enters the world. Man hankers for pleasure.
(3.3) Man loses control of material creation. He falls into avarice and covetousness (lust of the eyes – I John 2:16). He becomes enslaved by material possessions.
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