October 5, 2003 Sunday of the Twenty-seventh Week of Ordinary Time
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Reading I
Genesis 2: 18 - 24
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 128: 1
- 2, 3, 4 - 5, 6
Reading II Hebrews 2: 9 - 11
Gospel Mark 10: 2 - 16
Currently three groups of the Catholic Bible
School are studying the book of Genesis and so the first reading along with
Genesis 1 was the homework topic this week. It sometimes surprises people
that there are two creation stories. The book of Genesis was written
somewhat backwards. The writers were looking back on how Israel came to be
a nation chosen by God and so they needed "the rest of the story" - the part
before the Exodus. These stories were written also in light of the
Babylonian exile and have features of great myths.
Part of our homework this week was to find out what the writers were telling us
about God and use the present tense! Well, this second creation story (the
Yahwist) is very different from the first (the Priestly), yet we can learn
a lot about God from both. God is compassionate and is concerned that
humans have animals for food and for enjoyment. God forms men and women
equally (note that woman is made from a rib - a sign of equality). God
protects us from pain. God uses us for creation or co-creation. God
gives us each other for companionship. God interacts with us and wants our
opinions. God likes variety. God is Lord. That's a lot to
learn about God from just a few verses.
We compared our Genesis creation stories to a few others and one that I particularly liked was one from the Shilluk tribe of Africa. In it, the creator Juok molded all men of earth. In the land of the whites he used white sand, in Egypt he used the brown mud of the Nile, and in the land of the Shilluks, he used the black earth to make black men. The story continues about forming legs, arms, eyes, a mouth, a tongue and ears. I liked this story because it implies that we are all the same, from the earth, just different colors of dust and dirt made us. It's so basic and so equal. When we focus on our equality with one another, we can love freely.
This morning thousands of folks walked and ran in the Race for the Cure. The goodness of the moment was a microcosm of the creation. God protects us, uses us, interacts with us, cares and loves us. As we supported one another and especially supported the pink ladies, we celebrated our holiness. Soon, too, thousands will stand up for the unborn in the Annual Pro-life stand against abortion at 72nd and Dodge. As a co-creator with our loving God, please continue to support one another and protect one another. Stay in community and love one another. God bless you.
www.catholicrelief.org
www.redcross.org
www.caritas.org
www.mercycorps.org
www.thehungersite.org