REVIEW; EVERYTHING SO FAR..

God (Our meaning & purpose in life!)

Jesus (God in the flesh/Incarnation)

Faith (Man’s response)

1. Sacred Scripture

2. Sacred Tradition

REVIEW OF LAST WEEK

The Bible has…

many many many layers of literature!!!

Narrative, mythical, statutes, poetic,

parables, sermons, epistles, apocalyptic,

genealogies, etc.

The BASIC questions…!!!

"Where do we come from?"

"Where are we going?"

"What is our origin?"

"What is our end?"

"Where does everything that exists come from, and where is it going?"

The BASIC answers…???

Creation Myths?

Philosophies?

GOD ANSWERS: Divine Revelation

God is the answer…!

Prof. Andrew Parker:

Scientific accuracy of the Creation Story.

Scientific Theory of Evolution..?

Science and Theology

Dr. Robert J. Russell founder & director for the Center for Theology &

the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California, said:

“As a Christian we can say God is the Maker of

heaven & earth: That’s a theological statement.

Evolution is how God does it: That’s a scientific

statement”.

Gen 1:1 “In the beginning, God created heaven and the earth…” God is creator of all that is seen and unseen. (Nicene Creed)

Gen 1:2 “The Earth was formless, void; darkness…” God made out of nothingness…

Gen 1:2 “…the Spirit of God hovered over the waters..” similarities to baptism, birth and life

MYTHICAL LITERATURE:

The Trinitarian God

FIRST QUESTION:

Why did God create the world?

CCC 293: "The world was made for the glory

of God… not to increase his glory, but to

show it forth and to communicate it", for

God has no other reason for creating than

his love and goodness:

"Creatures came into existence when the

key of love opened His hand."

NEXT QUESTION:

How does God create?

God speaks.

God names.

God blesses.

God isn’t a God of manifestation,

God is one of proclamation. (Fr. Barron)

P.S. Doesn’t Jesus Christ do the same?

God’s Act of Creation;

the First 6 DAYS

Day 1 : Light and dark, day and night Day 2 : Sky and earth Day 3 : Seas and land; and living flora on land

Day 4 : The lights in the heavens / sky Day 5 : The living creatures in the sea & sky

Day 6 : Living creatures on earth. And Mankind

The Seventh day of creation, God sanctifies it; makes it holy, and rests- because creation is complete.

The Jewish Sabbath; day of worship

It is the rest of God, the rest His people find in Him. (St Augustine)

God’s rest signifies the rest of those who rest in God. (St. Aquinas)

God’s Act of Creation;

the 7th DAY

Divine Providence

Seven: signifying completion

(‘Sevenfold’: “completely”)

CCC 302 Creation … did not spring forth complete … was created "in a state of journeying" toward an ultimate perfection, yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call "divine providence" the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection..

Everything that God has

made is GOOD!!!

CCC 337 …the inner nature, the value and the

ordering of the whole of creation (is for) the

praise of God."

CCC 339 Each creature possesses its own

particular goodness and perfection… is willed in

its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of

God's infinite wisdom and goodness.

They call forth the

admiration of

scholars.

It reflects the infinite

beauty of the

Creator and ought

to inspire the

respect and

submission of

man's intellect and

will.

The Visible World: Beauty

Psalm 104

O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all…

The Earth is full

of Your possessions

This great and

wide sea,

(con’t Ps 104)

..In which are innumerable teeming things..

..Living things both small and great. (con’t Ps 104)

Stewardship of the Earth

Gen 2:15 And the

Lord God took

the man, and

put him into

the garden

of Eden to

dress it

and to

keep

it.

Creatures: Interdependence

CCC 340 Creatures

exist only in dependence

on each other, to

complete each other,

in the service of

each other.

These all wait upon You,

That You provide them

their food in due season

(con’t Psalm 104)

Creatures: Dignity

Creatures: Not be abusive

to God’s creatures

You open Your hand

They are filled with good

You hide Your face

They are troubled (con’t Ps104)

Creatures: “Animals have souls…”

St. Pope John Paul II.

You take away their breath,

they die (con’t Psalm 104)

Hierarchy of Creation

CCC 342 The hierarchy of

creatures is expressed by

the order of the "six days",

from the less perfect to the

more perfect.

God loves all his creatures

and takes care of each one.

Nevertheless, Jesus said:

"You are of more value than many

sparrows“ / "of how much more value is

a man than a sheep!"

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make

man in OUR image, after OUR likeness…

… man has the dignity of a person;

someone, not something. (CCC357)

and is above other creatures.

From the 1st Creation Story

Gen 2:7 And the Lord God formed

man from the dust of the ground(adamah),

and breathed into his

nostrils the breath of life;

and man became

a living soul.

From the 2nd Creation Story

Only man

is corporeal and

spiritual (CCC362)

“..man can know and

can love God…”

Man has

a share

in the

divine

life

(CCC375).

Original Grace

(CCC375) Original holiness and justice; if

man remained in divine intimacy, man

would not suffer or die, but to share in

the divine life.

Original Justice

(CCC 376) The inner harmony of the

human person, the harmony between man

and woman, and finally the harmony

between the first couple and all creation,

comprised the state called "original

justice".

Something is

“It is NOT GOOD…” ???

Gen 2:18 “It is NOT GOOD that man should

be alone…”

Prior to creation of another human being,

he is somehow incomplete; for the first

time, something in Creation is “not good.”

tells us that this is the fulfillment of

something that he has deeply desired.

God; The father figure…

What image does this scene seem to us?

(Gen 2:19)

What does Adam do.. for him to receive

God’s gift? (not much…)

Ish - Man

Ish’a - Woman

Woman

WHOA, MAN !!!

Woman

The Woman is not merely his helper in the work of cultivating the garden, she is his helper in the work of becoming fully human.

Qaw’rah - recite; from the mind

A’mar - to speak / utter from the heart

When Adam speaks…

So God created man in His own image;

male and female,

he created them.

Gen 1:27

And Adam said,

“This is bone of my

bone, flesh of my flesh…” Gen 2:23

Gender Equality

The Marriage Covenant (Mt 19:4-5)

Gen 1:27 …male and female, He created them…

Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father

and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh.

(What about same sex marriage…?)

Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the

man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

HOMEWORK: Read Gen 3

Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving thanks.

Thank you for all the graces and

blessings. You have betowed upon us,

spiritual and temporal: our faith and

religious heritage. Our food and shelter,

our health, the loves we have for one

another, our family and friends.

Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us continued graces and blessing throughout the coming sessions.

This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Your Son and our Brother.

Amen.

HOMEWORK

Read: Gen 3