Genesis 1:20-2:4a
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
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.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Marvel at God
The creation story is a beautiful one because it teaches us something delightful about God’s personality. After creating humanity – after shaping you and me! – God was perfectly content. As far as God could tell, there was nothing else that needed to be done!
I think the Creator continues to look at us and marvel at the ways we imitate God’s love to the best of our abilities. In those little moments, I don’t think that God would change a thing! Instead, I believe the Lord pauses, looks on in awe, and invites us to dwell in the restful peace only God can offer.
When beholding you, God must just be thrilled. But I’m wondering if, today, we could try to reverse our roles. Can we rest in the peace we were created for and try to marvel at God like God marvels at us – if only for a few minutes?
—Joe Ertle, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic of the Midwest Province studying philosophy at Fordham University.
Prayer
O God, Creator of every good thing,
You have blessed us abundantly with Your gifts of life and rest.
You look for nothing in return, except for the love we can offer.
Help us give it all to You so that we might know your peace.
Amen.
—Joe Ertle, SJ
Pray with the Pope
The Holy Father’s Monthly Prayer Intentions Brought to you by Apostleship of Prayer the first Friday of each month.