Being Naked Again

Before the Fall, they felt no shame
In the Creation story, we see that “the man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame” (Genesis 2:25, emphasis mine). However, after the tragedy of original sin, the rebellion of our first parents in not accepting being creatures and wanting to be “other gods,” falling into the trap of the devil and disobeying the Creator, we see this conversation between Adam and God:

The Lord God then called to the man and asked him: Where are you?

He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.”

Then God asked: Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat? (Genesis 3:9-11, emphasis mine)
 

What was the consequence of sin that made man afraid of being naked? Before the sin, they were not ashamed; but afterwards, they were afraid and hid from God. This nakedness means much more than simply being unclothed. It is an attitude towards God of total self-denial and trust, of surrender to his loving providence. 

Sin has caused human beings to lose that purity and simplicity of being a creature before God, of knowing that they are cared for and loved with infinite love. The fear of being naked represents distrust in God's love and protection, the desire for self-sufficiency, to take control of one's own life without divine interference, the fruits of the disorder caused by sin.

We need to fight to be naked again  
So we need to fight to be naked again, to regain that filial trust that our first parents had before God. The first step is to get to know God better, because we can't trust someone we don't know. In order to get to know God better, we need to spend time with him, talk to him and, above all, try to listen to what he says to us, through circumstances, events in our lives, the people we meet, nature, all created things. In short, everything can be a sign of God's love for us.  

Meditative prayer is fundamental to this greater knowledge of God. Set aside a few minutes a day, choose a text from a spiritual book or the Bible, or even an event in your life, and ask yourself: what does God mean by this? What do I say to myself? What do I say to God? Over time, this practice will open our eyes, our minds and our hearts to perceive the love and care of God the Father in our lives. 

The saints learned this path of total and unconditional surrender to divine providence. They knew that they were loved and cherished, even in their misery, and so, with effort and the help of grace, they were able to respond to this divine love, with attitudes of struggle against imperfections in order to one day eternally enjoy the presence of the Father.  

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus said: "I expect everything from the Good Lord, as a little child expects everything from its father. My path is the path of spiritual childhood, the path of trust and absolute surrender."

Let's ask for the help of Mary Most Holy, the person who trusted and loved God the most, so that little by little we can regain that attitude of obedient and faithful children, who trust and give themselves completely to the Father, because they know that they are loved and that everything the Father provides and allows is for their good, their holiness and to earn their place in the eternal happiness of Heaven.