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| Our Lady's statue in MSF Cemetery |
and let the birds multiply on the earth....
God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
"Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth."
T he Bible has no doubt about our earthly, earthy nature. We are creatures of this earth, along with every other creature on it. If others creep and crawl on other planets in distant, inaccessible parts of the universe, they must also be fertile and multiply to maintain their creaturely existence.
With the Baptism of an infant I have sometimes shared the wonder of a couple who have brought forth a child, made in God's image and likeness. Who are we that God gives us such power? Maybe storks should deliver them to deserving, capable couples who will appreciate the responsibility without feeling like owners of miniature self-images. Creationists suppose that God filled the earth with plants and animals without an evolutionary, sexual process. Wouldn't that be a better way to distribute babies to worthy homes?
What is man that you are mindful of him,
and a son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little less than a god,
crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands,
put all things at his feet... Psalm 8:6-7
The privilege should be more astonishing for us than it was for the divine authors of scripture for we can see our unworthiness in the mess we have made of God's Earth. If every nation and every greedy person repented today and ceased our polluting ways, we might see significant, planet-wide healing within two or three centuries. If every fertile man and woman contemplated the wonder of sacramental marriage, and made and kept their wedding vows, children might not suffer so many traumas. There would be no abortion and no one would want it.
When I hear God say, "For you are dust, and to dust you shall return," I wonder if he might have said, "What was I thinking? What did I expect?"
But here we are, God's creatures. And his word to Jesus still sounds in our ears, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” That is surely the same pleasure, greatly amplified, that we have heard this morning, from Genesis 1: "God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good."
He has no regrets. There were no mistakes. God's plan for our salvation is complete in Christ, for He and his dear Mother have more than satisfied God's expectations of the Earth and our human nature. That amazing destiny is far more complex and wonderful than anything we can imagine. It is still on course, and will unfold before our eyes in days to come.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.