Sunday of Cheesefare: Expulsion of Adam from Paradise

Meaning of the Sunday

On Sunday of Cheesefare, the Church remembers the expulsion of Adam from Paradise. The biblical account tells of the first human beings’ disobedience and their departure from Eden. In the Church’s understanding, this reveals the tragedy of humanity’s alienation from God: those created for communion with Him came to know death and corruption. The remembrance is not meant to produce despair. It helps believers acknowledge the wounded condition of human life and their need to return to God. Placed immediately before Great Lent, this Sunday speaks both of Paradise lost and of the hope of renewal through repentance and obedience.

Biblical background and Church remembrance

The day is rooted in the biblical narrative of Paradise, the command given to Adam, and the expulsion that followed disobedience. Church tradition understands God’s command to Adam as including a call to fasting or restraint. Adam did not preserve this obedience. As Lent begins, the faithful therefore reflect on the consequences of sin: separation from God, the loss of blessed life, and the coming of death. The evening worship of this day begins the transition into the fast. Its hymns call Christians to cleanse soul and body, abstaining not only from food but also from passions.

Spiritual meaning today

Fasting is not simply a negative practice or a dietary restriction. It can become a time to step back from sinful habits and disordered desires, and to nourish the soul through prayer, repentance, worship, and participation in the life-giving Mysteries of Christ. Sunday of Cheesefare encourages a humble beginning: recognizing one’s need for God’s mercy, asking forgiveness, and forgiving others. Attentive abstinence is joined to acts of kindness, peace with neighbours, and care for those in need. In this way, the memory of Paradise lost becomes not only a sorrowful remembrance but also an invitation to turn toward God.

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