that they were deliberately turning away from God. Adam, as head of the human race, had a particular guilt in this sin. By consenting to put Eve’s suggestion above God’s formal command, he knowingly wounded the human nature of which he was the head and the source, and he was fully aware that the wound would pass to each and every human being. This is essentially what Original Sin was: a revolt against God by Adam and Eve, with full knowledge of all its consequences. Since then, all human beings are conceived and born in a state of sin. The human nature Adam and Eve passed on to all their descendants carries with it that grave wound of soul and body. It is very much like how an alcoholic parent will pass on a profound susceptibility to alcoholism to their child at a level that is at once biological, physiological and psychological, and since body and soul are united in the one human nature, this often predisposes the child to be prone to inclinations that may give rise to certain vices (such as intemperance) which can then affect them on a spiritual level. The child of alcoholic parents will not automatically become an alcoholic; his/her free will remains, but the tendency will be there and it will require much effort and struggle to not succumb and remain temperate. This predisposition of the child is ultimately the consequence of Original Sin, which affects both body and soul, and it is the state into which we are all conceived and born. Fortunately, God, through His infinite mercy, provides a remedy that has raised man spiritually, even higher than Adam and Eve. It was given in the person of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Through baptism in the Name of the Holy Trinity, Original Sin is remitted and we become true children of God. Although the consequences of Original Sin–ignorance, concupiscence and death– will always remain, they can be surmounted. Constant fidelity to grace, especially the grace received through the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, will fortify us, both body and soul, to conquer temptations and win the eternal crown in Heaven. Concupiscence Let us now consider what happened after the first sin, for the history gives us the answer to so many questions that many people find themselves asking: If God created us with no clothes, why should we cover up? If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why would He create us to be sexually attracted and not expect us to act on that impulse and use that pleasure on demand? Why are we so easily 30
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