20210209 DIGNITY AND ROLE OF MAN IN CREATION
09 February, 2021, Tuesday, 5th Week, Ordinary Time
First reading |
Genesis 1:20-2:4 © |
'Let us make man in our own image'
God said, ‘Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven.’ And so it was. God created great sea-serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth.’ Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.
God said, ‘Let the earth produce every kind of living creature: cattle, reptiles, and every kind of wild beast.’ And so it was. God made every kind of wild beast, every kind of cattle, and every kind of land reptile. God saw that it was good.
God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’
God created man in the image of himself,
in the image of God he created him,
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food.’ And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day.
Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day he had rested after all his work of creating.
Such were the origins of heaven and earth when they were created.
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 8:4-9 © |
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
with glory and honour you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
put all things under his feet.
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
All of them, sheep and cattle,
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
that make their way through the waters.
How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:24 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Train me, Lord, to observe your law,
to keep it with my heart.
Alleluia!
Or: | Ps118:36,29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 7:1-13 © |
You get round the commandment of God to preserve your own tradition
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. For the Pharisees, and the Jews in general, follow the tradition of the elders and never eat without washing their arms as far as the elbow; and on returning from the market place they never eat without first sprinkling themselves. There are also many other observances which have been handed down to them concerning the washing of cups and pots and bronze dishes. So these Pharisees and scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’ He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:
This people honours me only with lip-service,
while their hearts are far from me.
The worship they offer me is worthless,
the doctrines they teach are only human regulations.
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get round the commandment of God in order to preserve your own tradition! For Moses said: Do your duty to your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses father or mother must be put to death. But you say, “If a man says to his father or mother: Anything I have that I might have used to help you is Corban (that is, dedicated to God), then he is forbidden from that moment to do anything for his father or mother.” In this way you make God’s word null and void for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down. And you do many other things like this.’
DIGNITY AND ROLE OF MAN IN CREATION
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [GEN 1:20-2:4; PS 8:4-9; MARK 7:1-13 ]
The world today speaks so much about human rights. We lobby for the removal of the death penalty but not the removal of abortion, weapons of mass destruction and wars. We demand freedom of speech even if it leads to slander, lies and insult. Then there are others who also champion animal rights, some even go to the extreme of putting the lives of animals before human beings. Indeed, some animal lovers care more for the animals than their fellowmen. We spend thousands of dollars to ensure that our pet is always healthy and get the best medical attention but we won’t even think of helping someone who is hungry, without food or shelter. In the face of climate change, the world is beginning to pay attention to the ecological system. There is a greater call for the protection of nature and the environment. Yet, many reduce ecology simply to the planet, and fail to realize that ecology goes beyond plants, animals and environment; that there is also the ecology of human relationships, marriage and the family. In truth, the foundation and guidelines for the regulation of human rights, animal rights and the protection of ecology is already established in the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis.
In fact, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is very much rooted in Christian anthropology, which is very biblical in orientation. Otherwise, logically speaking, one cannot distinguish human beings from other animals and the rest of creation. It is the bible that gives centrality to the position of man in creation. In today’s first reading, after God had created the heavens and the earth, sun and moon, land and waters, He also proceeded to put creatures into it. Sea and land creatures were then created. The summit of God’s creation was the creation of man. “God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.”
What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God? This is the most important question we need to ask ourselves. Many interpretations have been offered to explain “image” and “likeness.” Unless we are clear of what it means to be created in God’s image and likeness, we cannot position the place of man within the entire creation. In asking this question, we are clarifying what it means to be authentically human. The question of man, therefore, is very much linked to the question of God. There are similarities between God and man, and that makes man different from the rest of all creatures. What, then, are these characteristics that man shares with God?
Firstly, image would refer to man’s participation in the moral, rational, spiritual and relational capacity of God. Indeed, God is just and He is the norm of morality. God is also rational, as can be seen in the order by which the world was created and in which it functions. Everything in this universe follows a certain order, otherwise, it causes disruption and disasters to everyone. This was how the author presented it. Not only the universe, but even the human body works in a very meticulous order. Everything is interdependent, whether plants or animals. So, too, in the human person; if there is a failure in one organ, the rest of the body would be affected. But man also has a spirit. He seeks the spiritual things of God. He is not just satisfied with sensual pleasures. He likes music, dance, contemplation and peace. To be human, we must seek an integral development to be wholesome.
Secondly, it is significant that before creating man, “God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves.” The plural form of this verse suggests that in God, there is a dynamic process going on; a conversation and dialogue going on within Himself. This image of God we understand in the light of revelation refers to the Trinity. Jesus is the Son of God and the Holy Spirit is of both. Jesus is always in full communion with His Father. He and the Father are one. (cf Jn 10:30) The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the love of God that the Father and Son possess together. Indeed, God’s image is one of personal communion within Himself. God is being in communion. Within the being of God, three persons are in full and unceasing communion among themselves. Arising from this communion in God, creation is the outpouring of the love within them into the world. Truly, when anyone is in love, that love between two persons will also overflow to those around them. This is why love is always productive.
The corollary to this revelation is that we who are created in the image and likeness of God are called into communion with our fellowmen. Man is created for relationships. What greater intensity of communion is there than the union between a man and woman! This is what ultimately gives meaning to the human person. He is created for relationship with his fellowmen. This is brought out in God creating “man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” This divine image speaks of God as a relational being and therefore if we are created in His image and likeness, it means that we are created principally for relationships. God created human beings, male and female so that there can be a rich exchange between themselves. Between male and female, there is a complementarity between man and woman. Man finds completeness through a woman and vice versa. We are made for each other. This is what nature has created us to be. We are not exactly the same but neither are we totally different. This is where a healthy relationship between a man and a woman will bring about richness and diversity in unity.
Thirdly, we are created in His image to share in His work of stewardship. He said, “Let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of the heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.” But we must be careful that we do not wrongly interpret that the entire creation exists simply for us and us alone. Dominion over creation cannot be understood to mean that everything in creation is meant to serve us. This thinking has caused human beings to mismanage creation, abuse it for our benefit, since we are the center of creation and everything created is meant to serve us. Indeed, the fact that Genesis outlined the orderly progress in creation and the unity among God’s creation, reminds us that God is concerned for all His creatures.
Unfortunately, man has abused creation instead. We have forgotten that as masters of other creatures and the rest of creation, we must, like God, help the rest of creation to fulfill its purpose in the plan of God. We have a duty to God to protect all creatures, plants and the entire planet. Truly, the ecological crisis we are experiencing today can be traced to an over emphasis on the human person at the expense of man’s relationship with the entire cosmos. Technological advancement at all costs have resulted in the destruction of the environment. We are facing pollution, long term consumption of toxic chemicals, noise, radiation and the thinning of the ozone layer. Unless we learn to manage all of creation properly, we cannot help creation to fulfill its purpose on earth. Our task as masters is to rule all of creation, bring harmony, peace and progress to all. As kings over creation, we must protect creation under our charge, otherwise we have not discharged our responsibility. We are servant leaders of creation, not one that exploits them.
For this reason, St Paul speaks about the restoration of creation. (Rom 8:21-23) We too must help creation, which includes all our fellowmen, to realize their humanity in cultivating right relationships with creation, among themselves and most of all with God. It is relationships that make us truly human and yet divine. To be created in His image and likeness means that if we want to be in communion with our fellowmen and with the rest of creation, the first communion required of us is to be in communion with God. This explains why when humanity denies the existence of God, they are left without any real foundation to explain the place of man in society, his origin, calling and destiny. Only God can give meaning to creation. Otherwise, as what the world is facing now, everything, including creation, is meaningless, going nowhere and is always existing precariously, without certainty and order.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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