February 22, 2006, 1st Sunday of Lent.

A reading from the book of Genesis.

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground

and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,

and so man became a living being. Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden

in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground, the Lord God made

various trees grow, that were delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life

in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now the serpent was the

most cunning of all the animals that the Lord God had made. The serpent asked the woman,

did God really tell you not to eat from any of the trees in the garden? The woman answered the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the

garden. It is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, you shall not

eat it or even touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, you certainly will not

die. No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know

what is good and what is evil. The woman saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eyes,

and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. And she also gave some to her husband

who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that

they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. The Word of the Lord. I'm going to be. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sin be merciful, Lord, for we have sin.

Be merciful, Lord, for we have sin.

Be mercy for all Lord, for we have sin. Have mercy on me,

O God in your goodness,

in the greatness of your compassion

wipe out my offence.

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