FEBRUARY 15, 2021 General Week 6 - Monday
FIRST READING
"Cain threw himself on his brother Abel and killed him"
from the book of Genesis (4, 1-15.25)
The man unites with Eve, his wife: she became pregnant, and she gave birth to Cain. She then said: “I have acquired a man with the help of the Lord! »Later, she gave birth to Abel, Cain's brother. Abel became a shepherd, and Cain tilled the land. At the appointed time, Cain presented the produce of the earth as an offering to the Lord. For his part, Abel presented the first born of his flock, offering the best pieces. The Lord turned his gaze on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain was very irritated and showed a downcast face. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, why this downcast face? If you act right, won't you lift your face? But if you don't do well… sin is crouching at your door. He's on the prowl, but you have to dominate him. "
Cain said to his brother Abel: “Let us go out into the fields. And, when they were in the country, Cain pounced on his brother Abel and killed him. The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel? Cain replied, "I don't know. Am I, myself, my brother's keeper? "The Lord continued:" What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the earth! Now therefore, be cursed and cast away from this land which has opened its mouth to drink the blood of your brother, shed by your hand. No matter how much you cultivate the land, it will no longer produce anything for you. You will be a wanderer, a wanderer on the earth. "Then Cain said to the Lord:" My punishment is too heavy to bear! Here you have driven me out of this land today. I must hide away from you, I will be a wanderer, a wanderer on the earth, and the first one who finds me will kill me. The Lord answered him, "If anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times. And the Lord put a sign on Cain to preserve him from being killed by the first comer who would find him.
Adam married his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. She gave her the name Seth (which means: granted), because she said: "God granted me new offspring in place of Abel, killed by Cain."
The Word of the Lord.
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