Our Lady of the Holy Rosary-St. Richard Catholic Church
October 22, 2017—29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 45:1, 4-6; Ps 96:1, 3-5, 7-10; 1 Thess 1:1-5; Mt 22:15-21
“I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me.” Is 45:5a
“[Pay] to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God”
(Mt 22:21-NRSV)
"Creation of Humans"*
Do you see or experience the presence of God in others? What about in yourself?
God created humans in God’s image and likeness. We were created for friendship with God, to share in God’s own life, and to live in harmony with one another and with all of God’s creation. God’s image is a dynamic source of inner, spiritual energy that draws our hearts and minds to the source of ultimate truth, love, goodness, and beauty—who is God. Created in God’s image, we are all capable of self-knowledge, free will, uniting in communion with others, and called to share in God’s life. We are also called to be God’s stewards in the care of the earth and all of God’s creatures.
We were created as a unity of body and soul. Although our bodies develop through physical process, each person’s soul is created directly by God at the time of our conception. Our soul is the source of our physical life, as well as the core of our spiritual powers of knowing and loving.
Humans—male and female—are equal as persons and in dignity. They are meant to complement one another as a communion of persons, most evident in marriage.
The first humans, who we call “Adam” and “Eve,” were created by God in a state of original holiness and justice, called to live in accordance with God’s plan for us. However, through their own free will, our first parents chose to follow their own desires, to become their own “gods” (Gn 3:5), instead of trusting in and following the will of God. Through the “Fall” of our first parents, sin entered the world, God’s plan for creation was disrupted, and disharmony, suffering, death, and the inclination to sin (“concupiscence”) became a part of the human experience. We call the Fall and its consequences “Original Sin,” which is inherited.
God did not abandon us. Rather, God promised a savior to restore humanity to its original state of holiness and right relationship with God (Gn 3:15). That savior is our Lord Jesus Christ.
*U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults, Ch. 6.
Reflect on Your Experience
What prevents you from seeing or experiencing the image of God in each human person you meet?
What desires do you choose to pursue that causes disharmony in your life?
