Genesis Chapter 3 relates the fall of mankind and its consequences. Satan tempted Eve by doubts, pride, sensual pleasure and unbelief.

The evil one tempted Eve to doubt by saying, “Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?” (Gn 3:1) The question suggested the thought that God had no right to give command. Instead of fleeing from temptation, Eve began to discuss the question with the evil one.

The evil one then tempted Eve to pride by saying, “God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil” (Gn 3:5). He also tempted Eve to unbelief by saying, “No! You will not die!” (Gn 3:4). These words led Eve to doubt the truthfulness of God, who had said, “for, the day you eat of that, you are doomed to die.” (Gn 2:17)

Eve was led to sin also by her sensual appetite—-“The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give.” (Gn 3:6). Genesis 3:6 was echoed by 1 John 2:16 where St. John listed the disordered desires of the world—-“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life”.

An author pointed out that Eve sinned by thought, desire, deed, and word. She doubted the truthfulness of God, and desired to be like God. She also sinned in deed by eating the forbidden fruit; she sinned in word by inducing Adam to sin.

After eating the forbidden fruit, “the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked” (Gn 3:7). Their eyes were opened, but not as the devil promised to their glory, but to their shame.

Adam and Eve hid themselves from God. However, God reached out to them by asking a series of questions: “Where are you?” (Gn 3:9) “Who told you that you were naked?” (Gn 3:11) “Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?” (Gn 3:11) “Why did you do that?” (Gn 3:13) These questions gave Adam and Eve chances to come to God and to confess their sin.

God said to the serpent, “I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; it will bruise your head and you will strike its heel” (Gn 3:15).

Early Church writers called this message the “First Gospel”. The woman is Our Lady, and she is the “new Eve”; offspring of the woman is Christ Jesus, and he is the “new Adam”

The result of sin is suffering—-the pain of childbirth, relationship marred by sin, the hardships in labor, and death are all consequences of the sin.

The oldest sons of Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. The offering of Abel was pleasing to God, whereas the offering of Cain was not. As a result, Cain became very angry and jealous of his brother.

The sinful thoughts of Cain led to sinful act. He slew his brother Abel.

God said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” (Gn 4:9). These words contained the grace of repentance. But Cain remained hardened and stubborn in his sin saying, “’I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” After Cain rejected His grace God punished him.

Abel is a type of Christ. Abel offered sacrifice, and Jesus sacrificed Himself; Abel was a victim of his brother’s jealousy, and Jesus was the victim of the jealousy of the Pharisees; the blood of Abel cried to heaven for vengeance, and the blood of Christ cried to the Father for mercy.