11.25.25 | First and Second Advents and The Fall of Man
- tmaley
- 15 hours ago
- 15 min read
Video & Photos Recap Pending
Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics 11/25/25
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM. This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.
Meetings on Meetup: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy
Past classes are posted on our Catholic Catacombs Website: www.CatholicCatacombs.org
House rules/notes…
Our meetings/classes are on ZOOM every Tuesday, 7-8 PM. Sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive meeting reminders at www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy. Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952.
RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Questions. We encourage questions although we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask during the meeting, or in the chat box, or if you prefer you can email us through Meetup.com, or Ron directly: ron@hallagan.net.
Recaps. Within a day or two after each meeting, we will post the edited meeting notes of our discussions on our website, www.catholiccatacombs.org. Taylor will notify everyone when this is posted and provide you with a link.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between Christian denominations and religions in general, and we seek to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe much of my return to the faith to them!
No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal :). Our goal is to learn, understand, and apply the Bible and our Catholic faith to our everyday lives.
“The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen series captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week? Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg at https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/.
Cursillo. Interested in meeting weekly over coffee to discuss how God is involved in your personal and professional life? Join Cursillo (cur-see-yo). Initiation is a 3-day retreat at Mission Hurst in Arlington. Contact ron@hallagan.net) for men’s groups and Jennifer Pence (Jennifer.pence@gmail.com) for women’s groups.
Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.
Study and interpretation of Scripture A reasoned defense of the faith
Format: Each week of the month has a repeating theme, as noted below.
Wk 1: Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially difficult ones!
Wk 2: Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. We are studying the prophets!
Wk 3: Questions and Survey Topics chosen by Members:
Fathers of the Church, Heresies, Church Councils 2) Near Death Experiences 3) Jesus prefigured & prophesied in the OT 4) Apparitions and modern miracles 5) What happens to pets after they die. 6) Prison ministry stories 7) Could you review of Plenary and Partial Indulgences again?
Wk 4: Apologetics:
Gen 1-3 (Creation Story, Adam & Eve, the Fall of Man, The Meaning of the Trees)
Faith and Doubt
Deeper meanings of the Mass
Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:
15 min Catholic topic/catechesis
15 min Upcoming Gospel reading
30 min Weekly topic/theme
1 hour
Taylor will send a link to everyone with today’s notes.
The class is recorded if you want to listen to it anytime.
FYI, I will ask for volunteers to read…
Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord
Thank you for joining us as we delve into the double-meaning of Advent and its role in our lives these next four weeks.
Please expand our minds and hearts to better apprehend Your First and Second Coming!
We invite You into our lives and want to know you more and more.
As you taught us to pray together…
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Upcoming major holy days: Advent begins this Sunday, Nov 30 to Christmas Eve.
Dec 8, The Immaculate Conception
Mass Times/Confession anywhere: www.masstimes.org
Today’s Agenda
Reflection: Advent
Gospel reading for Nov 30, First Sunday of Advent, The Need for Watchfulness, Matthew 24:37-44
The Fall of Man IV, Gen 3:14-24
Quote of the Week:
“He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength…
As the soul is the life of the body, so the Holy Ghost is the life of our souls.”
– St. Peter Damian, 1060 AD
Reflection: The 4 Weeks of Advent begins this Sunday, Nov 30.
What is Advent?
Advent comes from the Latin adventus meaning “coming” or “arrival,” and it points to TWO events.
1) The preparation for the celebration of Christ’s First Coming – the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.
2) Our preparation for the Christ’s Second Coming (“Second Advent/Parousia”) at the end of time.
What is the “Parousia”? (pronounced pair-ooh-see-ah)
The Greek term that is often used to describe the Second Coming of Christ. Everyone say it out loud.
Which is more important, the first coming or second coming?
Second Coming because it is the fulfilment/actualization of the First Coming (Christmas, Birth of Christ). This Second Coming will occur at the end of this world as we know it. It will be Judgment Day, after which we receive our glorified bodies back and enter into a new Heaven and new Earth. It is the whole point of our existence and destiny.
Since the First Coming was necessary for the Second Coming to occur, we remind ourselves with joy and gratitude as we prepare for Christ’s First Coming on Christmas. The Incarnation was the hard part because He came here unbidden to an unbelieving world to undo the Fall of Man, reopen the gates of Heaven, and offer us continual forgiveness and spiritual growth so that we can reach our destiny. The celebration of Advent is all about BOTH Advents.
As the Second Coming is about our entering into our eternal destiny, we should be fully aware what we need to do to be ready.
Judgement Day will bring forth all humans who have ever lived
What age do we live in now?
We obviously live in the age between the First and Second Coming, which has been called several things, each of them equally valid: the Age of the Holy Spirit, the Age of the Church (the Body of Christ on earth), and sometimes the Messianic Age, but that would also include Jesus’ Second Coming.
All of these involve an inner journey where we develop spiritually, and an outer journey as we put this inner journey into practice. It is a growing relationship with God where He offers His continual help in the form of grace, forgiveness, and wisdom as we move closer and closer to Him. Simply put, we are walking with God and loving our neighbor.
Our reading for today is about being ready for the Second Coming/Parousia. As mysterious or alarming as it sounds, the message is if that we if remain engaged in our journey with the Lord, we will be ready no matter what our challenges or circumstances might be at the time. The same goes for our own death/passing. In any event, the entire Church prepares for and celebrates Advent each year as a reminder for us to remain aware, awake, and prepared at all times.
It is good to remember that the reason death was not so feared by the earliest Christians was because they knew it was merely the end of their worldly difficulties, sadness, and pain. The same should be true for us; so be sure to use this Advent to reflect on your own readiness, and the things you can do in the weeks and year ahead to walk with God. This life is our preparation for Heaven, our boot camp. We are practicing what Jesus taught and personally showed us: love, forgiveness, generosity, compassion.
If you would like daily reminders/reflections during Advent, write this down: mydailyvisitor.com/advent. Each day is about a 1 ½ minute reflection. Last week I share this link for little booklets: littlebooks.org
Another way of keeping your focus during Advent corresponds to the 4 candles of the Advent Wreath:
Week One: The Prophecy Candle. It recalls the prophecies about the Messiah and the hope he brings to the world.
Week Two: The Bethlehem Candle. It represents faith and is about Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.
Week Three: The Shepherds Candle (Gaudete=rejoice). It represents joy at the revelation of the Messiah. Almost there!
Week Four: The Angels candle. It represents peace on earth, goodwill towards men (mankind).
The optional fifth candle is Christ’s Candle. It represents the Arrival of the Lord on Christmas Day.
The 3rd week/candle is rose, representing joy. The others are purple, representing penitence and overcoming this world.
You will notice in church that the vestments and altar cloths used during Advent Masses follow the same themes.
Gospel – First Sunday of Advent
The Need for Watchfulness, Matthew 24:37-44
Context:
This Sunday’s reading is taken from what is called Jesus’ “Olivet Discourse” which occurs in Matthew chapters 23-24 and describes future events, including the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple and signs related to the end times. It also includes warnings against false prophets and instructions to be watchful. This discourse takes place on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus and his disciples have a clear view of the Temple.
Matthew 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
Exegesis (investigation, interpretation, explanation)
What is the meaning of connecting the Second Coming to Noah?
1) Noah was described as a global event, and so will the Second Coming be.
2) Like in Noah’s time, people were going about their lives with no concerns whatsoever about God, even though Noah warned them. At the Second Coming, many people will likewise be acting in the same way.
Some latter day Protestants (1800s) developed the idea of the “Rapture” from this passage. What is the Rapture?
The Rapture suggests that saved will be take up into the sky (Heaven) and the unsaved “left behind” to face the great tribulation.
The term “rapture” is not in Scripture nor was this idea held by any Christians until 1830 when a British evangelist named John Darby developed it. He incorporated it into a new denomination called the Plymouth Brethren Movement.
Note in the reading above it doesn’t say who is the better off – the ones taken up or the ones left behind – so that’s the first conjecture. The point of Jesus’ choice of words is allegorical – similar to his story of separating the sheep from the goats on Judgment Day. This is the same thing.
How can we “stay awake”?
Easy, stay in relationship with God every day. Receive the sacraments (grace). Practice loving your neighbor as yourself.
Not covered in today’s readings are the next two passages in which Jesus gives two parables: the Parable of the Two Stewards and the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Both are about “being ready” or “staying awake.”
Genesis 3 – The Fall of Man
* Remember, “man” more often than not refers to “human” or mankind. Sometimes, it refers to male. You have to look at the context of the sentence.
Where we left off in Genesis 3…
6a The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom.
Remember, the three temptations that will define humanity’s fallen state thereafter can be seen in this passage:
Good for food – physical desire/physical gratification.
Delight to the eyes – possessions.
It will make me wise, all by myself – pride/ego.
6b 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.
Adam was clearly present and went along with Eve’s decision. Adam was made responsible for being the steward of Eden. He could have defended Eve and/or the Garden, or ask for help, but he did none of these.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
“Their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked” = “they” both recognized their sin/betrayal.
Avoiding recognizing our mistakes – especially covering them up afterwards – is the basis for all guilt and shame. Guilt and shame are designed to get our attention to stop our downward descent. They are red flags that tell us we’ve made some wrong turns, but God will take us back if we are willing to face our mistakes, turn around and walk with Him in the other direction. This act of humility of admitting our failures and turning back towards God is the essential meaning of repentance.
Once again, God will take us back any time, and as often as we need. But if we refuse to face our mistakes and turn towards God, we may eventually find ourselves approaching self-hatred or despair.
Without God and the gift of repentance and walking with Him anew, it is understandable how modern/secular psychology might arrive at the conclusion that the ideas of guilt and shame are the problem. But that’s like shooting the messenger.
It is also important to note that the gift of repentance and walking with God is not just about humbling ourselves. It is from this act that we receive wisdom about our behavior, our decisions, and our condition. We become better and wiser after each experience. That’s why it’s a gift!
Following this, Adam and Eve find themselves hiding in the Garden. They are hiding from the truth.
8 When they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
The imagery of God walking in the Garden reminds us of the relationship we had with God before the Fall. It was personal and close. This is what we are invited to renew in this lifetime.
Next, God says to Adam first – because he was mostly responsible for the Garden…
9 The LORD God then called to Adam and asked him: “Where are you?”
God isn’t asking a location question; it is a relationship question.
11a Then God asked: “Who told you that you were naked?
This question indicates not only that someone else was in the Garden but that Adam was taking that person’s advice over God’s.
11b Why would God ask Adam if he ate from the tree?
God is giving Adam a chance to respond, to come clean, perhaps to ask forgiveness.
12 The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it.”
Adam blames both Eve and God, what chutzpah! But this is how sin works: lie, run, cover up, lie, blame, lie again. Sin encourages us dig a hole, then another, and another – but never admit responsibility! In V13, Eve does the same thing and blames the serpent.
Review: What was Adam and Eve’s violation again?
We know that Adam and Eve disobeyed God, but this was not some small breach of trust but a large one. It represented a complete rupture in the relationship between God and man. They had been given extensive freedom in Eden but to retain that freedom and all that came with it, they had to stay connected to and trust God, who is the source of that freedom. The tree represented a boundary and their actions represented disconnecting from God in pursuit of self-glorification: they sought to become “like God but without God.” It was the same choice the fallen angels made.
God pronounces judgment
14 Then the LORD God said to the snake: “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all the animals, tame or wild; on your belly you shall crawl, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
What do we make of this curse on the serpent?
One thing we can see is that the serpent has been reduced to lowliness by God, showing all of us that evil is not on par with good, and certainly not with God. This is important because many cultures will develop a duality of gods, one good and one equally evil, doing battle in the heavens with humans merely being secondary, collateral damage. Throughout the Bible, God dethrones polytheism by dethroning the gods of the ancient world, and the serpent was one of them. In this case, the serpent is “de-deified.”
All that being said, Satan still won “Round One” by convincing humans to pursue self over God, ushering in man’s death/mortality. Also because of this victory, evil will now follow Adam & Eve into the world. If you want to test this, remove humans from the earth and see if you can find evil, injustice, sin… They don’t exist without us.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed: he shall crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
What does this mean?
Enmity between your seed and her seed: Here the curse quickly outgrows the literal serpent and refers exclusively to the invisible tempter. Evil and temptation will haunt the human race from here on out.
He shall crush your head, and you will strike his heel.
How do you kill a snake? By the head. God’s statement is that the woman’s seed of the will crush the head of Satan.
How does a serpent typically attack man? At the heel, which can also inflict a mortal would on the man; it means that Satan will at the very least wound, and maybe kill, the man.
Who ultimately crushes the head of the serpent? Jesus. He is the seed of what woman? Mary, the new Eve.
How did the Jews view this passage?
Traditional Jews considered this the first messianic prophecy. Christians call it the “protoevangelium” – the first Gospel.
Why is Mary called the “New Eve”?
Because her yes to God reversed Eve’s rejection of God.
Mary reverses Eve’s mistake
16 To the woman he said: I will intensify your labor in childbearing; in labor you shall bring forth children. Yet your longingness shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.
Explain Eve’s punishment.
“Intensify toil (labor) in childbearing.”
This can be seen as a symbol of the broader suffering that sin brings into the world. It is also part of the gift of redemption. How?
We know that God already gave humans instructions to procreate in Gen 1 when He told them, “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28), but those instructions were before the Fall, meaning they were for populating Heaven. Given our choice to separate from God, we altered our own destiny to follow Satan instead of God, which would have been the path of the fallen angels, the end of humans all together. However, as we can see in these last few verses, God is giving man another chance. Through Adam & Eve’s fallen offspring, humans will be given another chance to gain access to Heaven.
“Longing for your husband” and “he shall rule over you…” Remember, justice doesn’t come arbitrarily from God but as a consequence of sin. We are the cause. Eve knowingly sought something greater than her relationship with God, and since she played the lead in this decision, now she will not be the lead. God was not decreeing this, but unveiling this reality of the fallen world they would now be entering. The equality of man and woman in God’s eyes was never in question. This was a dysfunction introduced by the Fall. In other words, the Fall not only ruptured the relationship with God but also the communion between man and woman. This disruption is rectified after Mary reverses Eve’s decision so that her seed (Jesus) could reverse the Fall of Man.
17-19 To the man he said: Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat from it,” cursed is the ground because of you. In great labor shall you eat of its yield all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bear for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Explain Adam’s punishment.
“…cursed is the ground because of you” and “thorns and thistles it shall bear for you.”
Notice the impact of the Fall – the cause of all this – is not God but “because of you.” This is how God’s justice works. It is perfect because it correlates exactly to the infraction and to the one who causes the infraction. Nature in Eden was originally perfect by the grace of God, but when Adam and Eve chose to separate from God, they – and their environment – lost that grace.
“until you return to the ground from which you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
This statement points up a couple of things:
This is the fulfillment of the warning God gave Adam when he warned him about the tree – that he would die.
It is a reminder that no matter how highly man thinks of himself, he was dirt before God brought him into being. BTW, the name “Adam” means dirt/dust.
As long as man faces death, which he brought on himself, he will not be able to enter Heaven. Only one’s relationship with God can overcome that, and Jesus will be the one to come and restore that relationship.
Next month: Eve gets a name. The Tree of Life. The Cherubim with the flaming sword. Their new, fallen life begins.
Closing Prayer
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