Catechism L5-03 God the Creator

 Prayer Before Studying

Incomprehensible Creator, the true Fountain of light and only Author of all knowledge: vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to enlighten our understandings, and to remove from us all darkness of sin and ignorance. Thou, who makest eloquent the tongues of those that want utterance, direct our tongues, and pour on our lips the grace of Thy blessing. Give us a diligent and obedient spirit, quickness of apprehension, capacity of retaining, and the powerful assistance of Thy holy grace; that what we hear or learn we may apply to Thy honor and the eternal salvation of our own souls.

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Holy Spirit, giver of all good gifts, enter into my mind and heart. Give me the gift of knowledge, wisdom, understanding and the grace to use it wisely. Help me in all my endeavors. Give me perseverance and fortitude. Help my memory, that I may remember what I learn and recall it when necessary. Guide me in my studies. You who are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, let me not be deceived by false teaching. Our Lady of Good Studies, pray for me. Amen.

For Joy in God's Creation

O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty:
Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works;
that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve
thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all
things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 For All Sorts and Conditions of Men

O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly
beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou
wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy

O gracious God, giver of all that is good, we bless you for having given us life to share with so many other creatures. Through them and with them we praise you and ask that you continue to pour out your Spirit upon the universe, and in it to show forth your glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord

Topic/Agenda:

• Who created everything?
   
• Difference of God creation and Human creation
   
• Difference between people and animals (review)
   
• What are the gifts of Adam & Eve (first humans)

 Psalm 145: 1-13

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable (no one can fathom). 4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.  6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.  10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you.  11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, 12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.  The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.

Salmo 145: 1-13

“Dakila si Yahweh, at karapat-dapat na Siya’y purihin; ang kadakilaan niya ay mahirap nating unawain.” 

1.      Remember God’s main characteristics are:

a.      Omnipotent – almighty or infinite power; having very great or unlimited authority or power;

b.      Omniscient – Infinite knowledge and wisdom;

c.      Omnipresence – present everywhere at the same time

d.      Sovereignty – Power to govern without external control; total control on everything that happens;

e.      Holiness – absolutely no sin or evil thought.

On the Book of Genesis (1 & 2) it shows here the that we are part of God's creation:

1. Heavens and Earth; Earth was covered with darkness; God created the Light, so there is now separation from Light called Day and Darkness called Night. -- Includes Angelic Corps
2. He separated waters from waters. He separated the Sky and Land. Some waters to Sky, others to the river, lake and seas. Some waters remove from the land and became dry called dry land or Earth.
3. God created every living plants and trees.
4. God created the Sun the day and the Moon and the Stars for the night.
5. God created creatures for the waters, every wing-birds in the sky -- including sea monsters
6. God created every living creatures in the land and humans.
7. God take a rest. 

Who Made Us?
Genesis 1:26-28
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind[c] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,[d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27 So God created humankind[e] in his image,     in the image of God he created them;[f]     male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

God the Creator

Something to Ponder:

• Why God created man?

–Because of His love and goodness – He wants personal relationship with us.

–He wants to share His creation to man – inheritance of the created world.

–To praise His glorious grace.

• When did humanity lost connection to God? à After Adam & Eve committed their first original sin.

• How and when did humanity try to made fellowship with God again? à Through Prophets assigned by God and by following his commandment.

• When did humanity was actually redeemed and made called children of God? à when Jesus came and sacrifice His life to save us.

Note: In the old days, to wash our sins the people in Israel sacrifice their best and pure animal like lamb or dove to God.  Every time they have sin, they need to sacrifice again and again. With Jesus Christ, He made the one-time eternal sacrifice for all men.

God's Creation vs. Human Creation
God is the Creator because no one else can make things out of nothing. We can only make things from what is already there because God has put it there.

God's Creation	Man Made

Human vs. Animals

Human	Animals
Material Body	Material Body
Eat, Drink, Sleep	Eat, Drink, Sleep
Very Intelligent and it evolves.	Varies Intelligence but does not close to human.
When we die, our bodies decays or corrupted. Others does not get corrupted!	Bodies are either eaten, decays or corrupted.
Human soul is spiritual, rational, immortal	Animal soul is material; no moral sense, mortal
When we die, we either go to Heaven or Hell	When animals die, it stops there.
Spirit of God is within us	No Spirit of God

What is God’s goal in creating and governing the world?

• The existence of men was planned, conceived and achieved because God wanted to get glory for his name through His people. – starting from Adam & Eve then forming of Israel and now all people.

• Man was created from the beginning in God's image that he might image forth God's glory. He was to multiply and fill the earth so that the knowledge of the glory of God would cover the sea. And ever since the fall of man into sin, people have refused to align themselves with this divine goal.

• Ever since Adam and Eve had chosen to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree in order to be like God, they become independent of Him and wise in their own right, the human race has been enslaved to a rebellious heart that hates to rely on God but loves to make a name for itself.

What it means to be created for God's Glory?

• What is Glory mean – renown; honor & praise rendered in worship; height of prosperity or achievement.

• It cannot mean that He created us so that He would become more glorious, that his beauty and perfection would be somehow increased by us.

• He does not mean He made us so that He could become more glorious in Himself.

• Isaiah 43:7 means is that He created us to display His glory, that is, that His glory might be known and praised.

What are the gifts of Adam and Eve?

• Holiness / Glory – to share in divine life; no suffering or dying. 

• Justice – Inner harmony of human person: between man and woman; between first couple and all creation;  

• Supernatural Gifts -- divine gifts that are totally beyond created nature which come directly from God; Sanctifying grace, which elevated them above their finite limitations so that they could fellowship with the Infinite God. i.e. beyond the reach of all created nature (even of the angels), and elevate the creature to a dignity and perfection natural to God alone 

• Preternatural Gifts -- are abilities that are not bound by matter or physical nature but are bound by laws of created nature (i.e. Sixth Sense or psychic ability);

–Immortal -- not mortal; not liable or subject to death; undying: our immortal souls;  not liable to perish or decay; imperishable; everlasting;  perpetual; lasting; constant.

–Impassible --  incapable of suffering pain; incapable of suffering harm; incapable of emotion; impassive.

–Free from Concupiscence -- sexual desire; lust; ardent, usually sensuous, longing; Control over their instincts and drives.

–Infused Knowledge -- The gift of natural (secular) and supernatural (spiritual) knowledge miraculously conferred by God. Thought by some to have been possessed by Adam and Eve, who came into existence in an adult state and were to be the first teachers of the human race.

–Sinless -- free from or without sin.

–Lord of the earth

Questions / Tie-up / Statements

• Do you think without God’s grace, Builders and Engineers would be able to build big and beautiful buildings?
• Do you think without God’s grace, doctors or scientist could create medicine for us that could heal and bring life to us?
• Do you think people can exactly imitate God’s power by creating new things out of nothing?
• If God has the power to create things, can He also destroy it? Can He bring Life and Death?

Did God created evil?

Professor: I'll prove to you. If God exist, then he is evil. Did God create everything that exists? If God created everything then he created the evil which means God is evil.

Student: Excuse me, professor. Does cold exist?

Professor:  What kind of question is this? Of course if exists. Have you never been cold?

Student: No sir. In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.  Professor, does darkness exist?

Professor:  Of course it does.

Student: You are wrong sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness.  Evil does not exist. It is just like darkness and cold. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart.

-- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Did God created another intelligent creature such Fairies, Dwarves etc.?

No. God did not create another intelligent creature other than Angels and Humans.

Genesis 6:1-4

Sons of God and Daughters of Men

6 When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. 3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men.

Ezekiel 1:1-21

The Vision of the Chariot

4 As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber. 5 In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form. 6 Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: 9 their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved. 10 As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle; 11 such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies. 12 Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 In the middle of[a] the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.

The Angels & Paganism according to Church Fathers

• God has entrusted the nations to his angels. Deuteronomy 32:8: “When” the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he appointed the bounds of people according to the number of the angels of God.”

• The greatest obstacle to the activity of the angels was the evil will of men. But a second must be added to it: the activity of the demons.

• If the nations have their good angels sent by God to assist and guide them, they are also the prey of demons who try to turn them away from the true God.

• The favorite method employed is to enmesh them in idolatry…This idolatry, in which St. Paul saw the corruption of the religion handed down to the nations by God, is essential the works of the Devil.

• Animists believe that some spirit (called elementals or fairies) beings inhabit rocks, trees, mountains, springs, groves, and other geographical areas, idols, shrines and even persons.

• These so-called gods and deities in early Church history, were no other the fallen angels.

• But in the midst of this desperate situation, the Word of God becomes incarnate (Jesus was born), in order to come to the aid of his angels. 

• Man now has, in Christ, immediate access to the Father without passing through the intermediary of the angels.

(Ref. Source: Exorcist Volume three by Fr. Jose Francisco C. Syquia)

Life Application:

• We should always put in our mind that God is ever powerful and that we should fear God and do not question his authority nor his ability.

• So every time we see nature: animals, trees, surroundings, people and even the family and things that we have, we should thank God.

• Life is too short so try to be good always. God could take away anytime our life or the things that we have. God can give as well as take.

• By the word "religion". I've seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will of God. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness what God desires is here (mind) and here (heart). By what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man or not.
-- Quotes from the Kingdom of Heaven movie

• “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  (2 Corinthians 6:18)

• God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart.

• God did not create another intelligent creature other than Angels and Humans