ADULT FAITH FORMATION
This past Monday in our RCIA gathering we learned about the Creation Story found in the book of Genesis chapter 1. The first three days God responded to the earth’s formlessness by creating realms. By creating day/night, sea/sky, and land/vegetation the three elements for life are in place: light, water, and food. Symmetrically, the next three days he resolved the earth’s emptiness by filling the realms with rulers – the day and night to be ruled by the sun, moon and stars; the sea and the sky to be ruled by the birds and fish; and the land to be ruled by man. He filled the structure in three days, and then filled that structure with living beings. For six days God created and after each creation God declared it good, but on the last day his pièces de résistance was the creation of the human person which he declared very good.
The fact that the story is told in a very orderly format is not a coincidence. It helps us to understand the meaning and significance of creation. It shows us what and why God created. The “what is a home for His children, for us, his pièces de résistance. Let’s look at Gen 2:1-3 in order to see the “why”.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Let us review all that we know about God. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-love, supernatural, pure spirit… So, by “rested” does it mean God was tired and had to recuperate from all the hard work of creating? No, He didn’t have to lift a finger to create. “Rested” means He shared a lazy cozy unhurried time to do nothing but enjoy the company of those He loves so much, to rest in one another! That is why he blessed and made the seventh day holy, so that He could share the perfect love of the Trinity with all of us for no other reason but for us to love Him back. We were created out of love, to be loved, and to love. Brings a smile to my face and gives me goose bumps every time I think about it.
This Monday we are going to get an overview of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body and look a little closer at Genesis 1:27. I hope to see you there!