Tuesday, February 08, 2011

In the image

Creation continues in today's first reading; the famous "God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." This, after God had already filled the waters of the see with abundant living creatures, most of which (except maybe sponges and things like that, but what do I know?) were created male and female, as were the birds of the air and the creeping things of the ground. Even some of the green plants, we now know, come as one or the other. Obviously, the Bible is signaling that there is some way that this last creature stands apart from the rest. We get another take on the same signal later in the book, in the second creation story--the famous one with the rib. It's worth reading Pope John Paul's extended meditations (here's another one) on these passages.

2 comments:

K T Cat said...

Thanks for linking to that Pope John Paul II piece. I'll definitely go and read it. I've engaged atheists on my blog in discussions about human consciousness and I'm anxious to see if I can pick up any wisdom from the great Pontiff.

Sister Anne said...

Be sure to read on about personhood (http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb6.htm) and the mystery of communion (http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/jp2tb9.htm)