Monday of the Sixth
Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 4:1-15.25;
Mark 8:11-13)
Sibling rivalry may be
as old as Cain and Abel, but these two brothers had more between them the
contention for parental affection. Cain
was a farmer and Abel, a shepherd. The
two ways of life have always been at odds.
Although Cain is the elder brother, Abel’s herding probably preceded
Cain’s husbandry. Cain’s line of work,
however, is more complicated and requires greater skill.
Because he is always planning
well ahead for contingencies, it is likely that Cain calculates about his gift
to God. Abel, on the other hand, quite
innocently gives God “one of the best firstlings of his flock.” God’s pleasure
with Abel’s offering and indifference to Cain’s causes the older brother’s
resentment. God does not shun Cain. Indeed, like the father in Jesus’ parable of
the prodigal son, He goes out to reason with him. But Cain rejects God’s advice and kills his
brother. Even after this outrage, God
does not abandon Cain. He marks Cain as His
protectorate.
With Lent around the
corner, we should strive to make our offering to God more like Abel’s. Rather than calculating what we would miss,
we should give God our best. As was said
of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, we should “do something beautiful for God.”
