Retreat Reflection: God Loved Us Before We Fell

It is important to remember that even before Adam and Eve’s fall, before there was sin, there was love.

We were made in God’s image and likeness and God breathed His own breath into us and prepared the Garden of Eden as a place of communion with Him. This was humanity’s Original Grace. His first intention was love.

Even after humanity fell, His love did not change.

Sin is a refusal to love as God loves. We choose our own desires and preferences over God’s will and the good of others.

As a father, this challenged me. There are times, I hold too firmly to a principle and failed to communicate it to my son, with patience and charity. I may be right about the issue, but very wrong in the way I handled it. I realised that being right is not enough.

If I communicate truth without love, I may win the argument but lose an opportunity to reveal God's love to my son. Love, care and concern must guide not only what I do, but also how I do it.

The clearest proof of God’s love is found in Jesus Christ.

Jesus came not merely to “fix” Adam and Eve’s fall. But because He desired to be with us.

Although we know God is all powerful and everywhere, it is somewhat more comforting to know He himself took flesh and became a human person. That means He totally understand us.

God is abundant to the point of wasteful. He is prodigal. Look at nature. Sunlight, rain, seeds, flowers, leaves, stars, beauty is everywhere and it never ends. So is God with us. He is forever generous to us, because He loves us.

God waits patiently for us to visit Him, at Mass, in the Adoration Room, in Church. His love waits for me. Waiting for me to respond and turn back to Him.

Even before my sins, before anything I have done, God loved me.