In careers, families, relationships, sports, and many other activities in life, there is a big difference between wholeheartedly devoting oneself to a task and simply going through the motions. Our faith is no different. A clear example of this can be seen in the story of Cain and Abel. After Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden, they have two sons: Cain and Abel. Cain grows up to be a farmer, while Abel becomes a shepherd. Both sons offer sacrifice to God, but while Abel’s sacrifice pleases God, Cain’s does not. In a fit of jealousy, Cain sets a trap and murders his brother. This story is often used to show the brokenness of humanity after the fall, but there are many other lessons to be learned within it.

The sharing of gifts to strengthen relationships is a natural human instinct. We give gifts to celebrate important occasions, to appease someone we’ve offended, or to honor someone we wish to please, among other reasons. It is a natural step to apply this instinct to God as well. Sacrifice is a way of thanking God for His gifts, praising Him, and atoning for the ways we have offended Him. Every ancient culture had some form of sacrifice, and while they differed in offering and ceremony, cultures offered what was most important to them, according to each person’s ability. God’s chosen people were called to sacrifice the firstborn animals and first fruits of the harvest, as a reminder that all life ultimately comes from God and belongs to God.

Abel offers “the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions” (Genesis 4:4 RSV). He specifically chose the firstborn, and he brought the most valuable part of it to God. Cain, on the other hand, brought “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (Genesis 4:3 RSV). The Bible is very clear about when first fruits are used in the context of sacrifice (Deut. 18:4, Num. 18:12, and Ex. 23:16, to name just a few). Here, Cain does not bring the first fruits, but only some of the regular harvest. He holds back the most valuable part from God to keep for himself, so his sacrifice is not accepted; God knows that Cain is just going through the motions.

How much are we tempted to hold back in our own spiritual life? Once we leave the Church building after Mass it can be easy to avoid thinking much about God until the following week. Those who have a dedicated prayer routine can still struggle with intentionality, because like Cain, sometimes our heart just isn’t in it. It is okay to experience desolation, or to be tired or angry at God, so long as we keep pursuing Him in the midst of our struggles. The danger is when we let our other activities crowd out our prayer life. Jesus is very clear about the consequences of a half-hearted spiritual life: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21-23). We make time for the people we love, and if we truly love God (or at least want to) then that must be reflected in our priorities. Instead of animal sacrifice, we are called to sacrifice whatever we have: our money, time, talents, and ultimately our lives. Though we may not be called to martyrdom, we can still lay down our lives in union with Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross by denying our own desires, uniting our will to God’s, and willingly accepting the sufferings of each day as He accepted His Cross.

If you think this sacrifice sounds impossible, you are correct. We are fallen human beings, incapable of living a holy life without supernatural help. Fortunately, Jesus tells us that “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 RSV). God gives us the help that we need! Going back to Genesis, we see that even after the murder of Abel, God still had mercy on Cain and protected him from harm: “The Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.” (Genesis 4:15 RSV). God gives us the grace to avoid sin, but even if we reject Him, He still loves us and will forgive us so long as we keep running back to Him. 

The almighty, infinite, all-loving God has revealed Himself to us and is calling us to follow Him. Our response to His call is of the utmost importance; if we truly wish to call ourselves followers of Christ then we must center our lives around Him, and, like Abel, offer our very best.

If you would like to read more about this topic, check out Genesis 4 and CCC 2084-2109. St John Chrysostom also wrote a great homily on Cain and Abel which can be found here. As always, I am praying for you and I hope you have a blessed week!