Welcome back to the Jesse Tree on the Catholic Sprouts podcast. As you listen, make sure that you are

coloring and hanging the ornaments that go along with each day's reflection. You can find and print

them for free by following the link in the notes for this podcast episode. Today is Monday

of the first week of Advent. Following the first sin, life became much harder

for Adam and Eve. They were cast out of the garden and toiled for their food. God said,

By the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread until you return to the ground for out of it you were taken

you are dust and to dust you shall return disease injury pain and death entered the world with sin

the world was broken and in this broken world Adam and Eve worked to raise the first family.

Adam and Eve maintained a relationship with God, and they did this by offering the first

fruits of their harvest to him. They shared this practice with their sons, Cain and Abel.

Listen now to a reading from the book of Genesis, where we will see the continued effects of

sin and our broken relationship with God. Genesis chapter 4 1 through 12. Now the man knew his wife Eve and she conceived and bore Cain saying,

I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.

Next she bore his brother Abel.

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a tiller of the ground.

In the course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,

and Abel, for his part, brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions.

And the Lord had regard for Abel in his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.

So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

The Lord said to Cain, why are you angry? And why is your

countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the

door. It desires for you, but you must master it. Cain said to his brother Abel, let us go out to the field. And when they were in the

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