God of Purpose

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday, 5th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, February 9th, 2021

Texts: Gen. 1:20-2:4a; Ps. 8:4-9; Mark 7:1-13

Today we are reminded that our God has purpose for everything He made. Today's first reading continues with the story of creation and tells us that God filled the earth, the seas, and the firmament with living creatures. This brings to mind the words of Isaiah: "The Lord created the heavens- he is the one who is God! He formed and made the earth- he made it firm and lasting. He did not make it a desolate waste but a place for people to live in" (45:18). God made neither heaven nor earth to be emptied but to be lived in. He made seas for fishes, He made firmament for birds, He made earth for man and other animals. 

God does not only have purpose for heaven and earth but for every living creature. God spoke through Jeremiah, saying, "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for" (29:11). Every creature has a role to play in the sustenance of God's creation. 

God does not just have a plan for us but also inbuilt us with the power to accomplish the plan. For God to accomplish His purpose of filling the earth with living creatures, He gave them power to procreate. It is said, "And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.'" We are all inbuilt with the power to accomplish God's purpose and plans for our lives.

We  are also reminded, today, how unique we are, and the unique role God has assigned to us. God created us in His own image. He created us in the image of Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; for He says, "Let *us* make man in *our* image, after *our* likeness". This means God shared Himself with us; we are the reflection of His glory, power, authority, and wisdom. We prefigure His Son; We are shadow of what His Son shall be in time to come.

Being created in the image and likeness of God, we have in us divine spark that orientates us towards God. This reveals that our life is beyond here and now. The orientation towards God shows that we are on a journey to a world beyond the present one. We are called to live with God in heaven; we are called to life everlasting; we are called to behold and praise God for ever in heaven. 

While God created other things on earth for us, He created us for Himself, to manifest His glory, power, authority and wisdom in our dominion over created things. It is said, "And God bless them, and he 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 every living thing that moves upon the earth.' And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for for food.'

The story of creation teaches us that God alone has the right over life, He has the right of ownership of life. This means no one has right to take life. Human life is sacred and precious to God.

On the seventh day God rested, He blessed the day and hallowed it. On this day God rejoice in His creation (Ps. 104:31).

Today's gospel reading deals with man's corruption of God's law; we bend the law of God to satisfy ourselves. This is a failure in reflecting His glory. When there is conflict between God's law and tradition, we place emphasis on tradition instead of God's law. For instance, though it is good to give to God, it is sinful to give stolen money to God. Jesus Christ condemns a practice that says theft is no longer a sin when the stolen item is given to God. Such practice violates the law of God that forbids theft. In today's gospel reading, Jesus gives example of how the practice of giving to God violates God's law that commands us to honour our parents. He says, "For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother', and 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; but you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother,  'What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) - then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on."  This calls us to beware of human tradition that makes void the word of God. For instance, such practice like human sacrifice violates the sanctity of life, and so should be jettisoned.

Lord God, we thank you for the gift of life, may we value it for what it is. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke