Article #6 - Sixth Series - October 9th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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Article #6 -  Sixth Series - October 9th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Article:

The hunter is radically different from everything else around him in the woods. 

In fact, he doesn’t seem to fit in at all with his surroundings. 

The Book of Genesis provides some insight in this regard.  

It’s important to remember that Genesis is all about order and each creation becomes more remarkable. 

Day #1 – God created light and dark.

Day #2 – God divided the waters from the land.

Day #3 – God created grass, seeds, and fruits. 

Day #4 – God created the moon and the sun to govern the night and the day. 

Day #5 – God created whales, living creatures, and birds. 

In other words, days 1 and 4 parallel one another (light and dark which are ruled by the moon and sun), days 2 and 5 are to be read together (water and land which are traversed by whales and birds), days 3 and 6...I’ll get to that in a moment.

The cosmos is becoming more remarkable and beautiful each time God speaks creation into existence.

Does God stop here? No, there’s a sixth day of creation. 

Day #6 – God created the human being – in His own image. 

Remember the parallels? Days 3 and 6 are to be read together - from fruits to humanity. There’s a saying in Christian thought - “God gave humans grapes [fruits] that they may turn them into wine. Then, God turns our wine into His very blood.” 

Only human beings are created in God’s image. Notice too, we were created after everything else in visible creation...why?

The human being is the pinnacle of all visible creation. There is nothing more beautiful than the human being in the entire cosmos. 

Like everything else in creation - we exist. Like the creation that can reproduce - we also can. Like everything else that can move - we can as well. Like everything else with instincts - we have those too. But, there’s something completely different about us - we are made in God’s image and likeness. 

Therefore, we have an intellect and a will. Our intellect desires to know everything about everything. Our will desires what is good. We can dream, create, discern, calculate, contemplate, and much more. 

Remember, there’s yet a 7th day in the story of creation. 

Day #7 - God rested. 

St. Ambrose, a great 4th century saint, asked this simple question “If God rested, where did he rest?” 

Did God rest on the top of the highest mountain on the planet? No, because it’s not high enough. Did God rest at the bottom of the deepest ocean? No, because it’s not deep enough.

Did God rest in outer space far beyond the stars? No, because it’s not big enough. So, where did God rest?

St. Ambrose said – God rested in the mind and heart of humanity. 

In other words, God prefers to rest in the mind and heart of the hunter much more than anywhere else in the woods. This makes him radically different. 
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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.