“Lovingly Made and Always Cared For” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Ponder the Gift of Creation

“Lovingly Made and Always Cared For” by Colleen O’Sullivan

Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”  God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.  (Genesis 1:26-27)

When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? (Psalm 8:4-5)

(Jesus) responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:  This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.  You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”  He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!  (Mark 7:6-7)

Piety

Lord my God, when your love spilled over into creation you thought of me. I am from love, of love, for love. Let my heart, O God, always recognize, cherish and enjoy your goodness in all of creation. Direct all that is me toward your praise. Teach me reverence for every person, all things. Energize me in your service.

Lord God, may nothing ever distract me from your love; neither health nor sickness, wealth nor poverty, honor nor dishonor, long life nor short life. May I never seek nor choose to be other than what you intend or wish.   (St. Ignatius Loyola, First Principle & Foundation, trans. Bergan & Schwan, 1985)

Study

Today’s first reading is a tale about origins, which, at its core, is a story about Love and Relationship.

Difficult as it is to believe sometimes when we look in the mirror, we are all made in God’s image. Just think – we have a God who is very aware of the sins we will commit or have already committed, yet looks at us with this knowledge and, nevertheless, calls us good. Moreover, God even thinks it was a wonderful day when we were called into being. I could spend an entire retreat pondering that forgiving and overwhelming Love that can call me good knowing full well that I will sometimes do the very things that God asks us not to.

We have God-given Commandments, lesser, human-made rules, and traditions which are meant to help us live in God’s image. They are gifts; they are not meant to burden us or weigh us down on our journeys. Yet, as we see in today’s Gospel reading, some rules and traditions authored by human beings and meant to lead us to God can do anything but.   

In these verses, Jesus and the Pharisees are having just another one of their many acrimonious encounters. This time, the Pharisees are ranting about the disciples’ not going through the ritual handwashing before eating.  But this wasn’t really about handwashing.  Like any observant Jews, Jesus and his disciples most likely washed their hands when the circumstances permitted.  Jesus knew the Pharisees used many human-authored “laws” to impose their “authority” on the bulk of the Jewish population.  As Jesus mentions elsewhere, the Law should be a help to people not a hindrance.  He knows that the same leaders who are so seemingly concerned about ritual handwashing, encourage practices that ignore the basic needs of their brothers and sisters, which goes against God’s intent.  The example Jesus uses here is coercing people to give so much to the Temple that they literally have nothing left with which to help their elderly parents or other poor.

Action 

I encourage all of us to use part of our prayer time today to ponder the gift of creation. It’s an ongoing gift. God is always doing something new.  No two sunrises or sunsets are the same. Every snowflake is unique. We can delight in watching the young ones in our midst grow in size and understanding of the world.  If we’re tired of winter, remember that nothing lasts forever and think of the spring that will come bringing new life after winter dormancy. 

Jesus also asks us to search our hearts, which are susceptible to evil as well as to good.  Could we possibly find ourselves resembling the Pharisees in that our actions sometimes fail to correlate with the love we are called to show to our brothers and sisters?  If we see that same disconnect, take heart because Jesus wants to help us.  As expressed in St. Ignatius’ prayer, may we always remember that we are from love, of love, and for love.