Word for the day by Christian Education forum

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FAMILY A DIVINE GIFT

Genesis 2:4-24
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’  for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:23)
The creation story ends in Genesis Chapter 1 with a statement “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."
Family is the Precious Gift of God: Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden that signifies delight and pleasure. It had all desirable conveniences ideally situated, sufficient, the joy and glory of the whole earth. Of course it was earth in its highest perfection. A man placed in such surroundings should be happy and content. The physical part of man by which he is allied to the world of sense was made happy; for he was put in the paradise of God: the spiritual part by which he is allied to the world of spirits was well provided for; for he was taken into covenant with God. But when we continue to read Chapter 2 v 18, we read, God saw something that is not good. "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone." God graciously pitied his solitude and remedied that situation by making a creature of the same nature and rank as Adam and gifted her to the lonely man. This divine gift resulted in the first family on earth. They were given the task of working and taking care of the garden, a divine vocation, also a gift entrusted to the first family.

Human Participation in the creative process: Man is created as a social being. It is a pleasure to him to exchange knowledge and affection with those of his own kind, to inform and to be informed, to love and to be loved. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and becomes one flesh. God commanded the first family to multiply and fill the earth. God expects the human race to share in His creation process through this divine gift. The Psalmist says in Psalms 127 that the children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. In Genesis 33:5 Jacob told Esau that his children were a gift that God had graciously given him! Joseph told his dad in Genesis 48:9 that his sons were a gift from God! Since our family and vocation are His divine gift, it is our responsibility to seek His will, pray for His guidance in our daily walks of life to praise Him and thank Him for all what we are and what we have. We own nothing and everything is a gift

Prayer: Almighty Lord our Heavenly Father help us to be faithful in all the gifts that you have graciously bestowed on us, knowing that we are accountable. Make us worthy for the commendation “Well done, good and faithful servant”. In Jesus’ name we pray: Amen!

Dr. Joseph Mattackal, Long Island MTC, NY





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