top of page

The Catholic Defender: Where Are You


Adam and Eve both sinned against the command of the Lord and they both ate of the tree of life they were ordered to abstain from.

Immediately their eyes were opened and they hid themselves when they recognized their nakedness.

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Genesis 3:8-10

Think about this passage for a moment, the Lord came walking through the garden as he had done countless times in the past, but this time, Adam and Eve both hid from the Lord. It is an interesting question the Lord asks Adam and Eve:

Where are you?

It's easy to look back on this and think how Adam and Eve could have placed themselves in this position, but really, we all can identify with it.

Have you ever heard the Lord looking for you asking you, "Where are You?"

The Lord is present in the Eucharist and He is there at the Mass, the Lord's Real Presence giving us a much greater opportunity than even what Adam and Eve had.

Do you know what the maximum effective range of an excuse is? Probably zero? On the Day of Judgment there will be no good excuses.

As it says in 2 Corinthians 6:1-3, now is the Day of Salvation! Do we hide from our Lord as if He is asking you, "Where are You?

People will fill voids in their lives that only the Lord intended to fill so they lose themselves in drugs, power, sin, and rebellion.

God said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate." Genesis 3:10-13

Like Adam and Eve we will often try to give a good excuse to why we chose to live in disobedience, especially now that we have inherited the fallen nature.

We are prone to sin because of temptation, sure enough, however, we can choose to do the Will of God living out His Sacraments and grace. No matter what we have done, the Lord loves us and will forgive us if we repent of our sins.

This is the message and meaning of Mary's Immaculate Conception. We are invited to clean ourselves up through God's grace. We do not have to do this alone, we are loved and have many praying for us in Heaven.

The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

There is always a consequence for making the wrong choice, I don't know how many times I've met someone who used to be Catholic who no longer is practicing their faith.

Our Deliverer has come looking for the Prodigal asking "Where are You"!

If your faithfully going to Mass then your grazing in the corral safe and sound, but if you have jumped out over the fence thinking the grass is greener on the other side, you open yourself up to every trick of the Devil just as Adam and Eve had done.

Advent is to prepare us for the coming of the Lord in our lives as Jesus first came to us a little child. What gift are you prepared to offer?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

All that is requested of us is to trust in the Lord, Jesus is most merciful. Go to Confession and receive reconciliation, that is your cleansing that is so necessary.

When the Lord comes looking and calling for you asking "Where are You", you can respond, as Isaiah did, "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."



bottom of page