October 9

My Brother!

And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” — Gen 4:9 BSB

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. — 1 John 2:11 BSB

Man’s fall, whatever else it may have involved, resulted in a complete shift in the center of his being. He was made in the image of God, and God’s nature is completely selfless. God’s will and purpose were the guiding principles of man’s existence, but when our first parents chose self-gratification over God’s will, the self-life took over. Since then, self-centeredness has become the dominant principle in human nature, and the world is as it is because of it.

We don’t know what exactly caused the difference between Cain and Abel. The Bible hints at it, but the fundamental reason remains a mystery. However, St. John gives us a clue in his first epistle, saying that Cain killed his brother because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

God warned Cain that sin was crouching at his door, waiting to take over, and He urged him to resist. But when the terrible deed was done, Cain found that all of nature stood against him, and he became a fugitive. Abel’s blood cried out against Cain, for all sin cries to God, who avenges those who, in simple faith, have entrusted themselves to Him. Thank God, there is a voice that cries louder than Abel’s—a voice that pleads not for judgment, but for mercy (Hebrews 12:24).

This world is filled with envy, jealousy, strife, and even murder because people look out for themselves instead of their brothers and sisters. The story of Cain and Abel is a picture of what happens when selfishness reigns. But the first epistle of St. John presents the antidote. When we love God first and best, we also love our brothers and sisters. As we open our hearts to the love of God, we are lifted above the jagged rocks of selfishness and into the broad ocean of true life (1 John 3:14-17).

Prayer

Our Father, help us to consider the needs of others and to act generously toward them, knowing that we are Your children and that Your infinite resources are at our disposal. Amen.