20120917 We believe in creation 我們相信創世
We read about the of creation of the world and human beings in Genesis chapters one and two. The focus of Gn 1:1 2:3 is God preparing a home for mankind, and the focus of Gn 2:4-25 is God creating the first man and woman.
Home for mankind
In the creation account of Gn 1, the environments in which God’s creatures would live were created on the first three days, and the next three days were for the creation of the rulers of the environments.
On the first day God created day and night; on the fourth day He created sun to rule over the day, and moon to rule over the night.
On the second day God created sky and sea; on the fifth day He created birds to rule over the sky, and fish to rule over the sea.
On the third day God created land and vegetation; on the sixth day He created humans and animals to rule over land and vegetation.
God rested on the seventh day and made it holy. Through a holy covenant God invites us to enter into His rest.
The Sabbath is God’s covenant with creation. Catholic writer Scott Hahn points out that “the Hebrew word that means ‘to swear a covenant’ is based on the Hebrew word for seven. Someone who said, ‘I swear a covenant,’ in Hebrew was literally saying, ‘I seven myself.’ So in creating the world in seven days, God is swearing a covenant with the universe.”
Image of God
Human beings are created in the image of God: “God created man in the image of Himself, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Gn 1:27).
We are like God because we have intelligence, free will, and the capacity to love. Because of this likeness, human life possesses great sacredness. We must respect the dignity of each human person.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a person who is not just something, but someone.
“He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession, and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer Him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.”
Human beings reflect the image of God both as individuals and in community. The marriage covenant reflects the love of the Blessed Trinity.
“God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it'”(Gn 1:28). Marriage is the covenant between a man and a woman instituted by God for procreation, the education of children, and the mutual assistance of husband and wife.
In Gn 2:21-23 we read about the creation of woman. This passage foreshadows the relationship between Christ and the Church.
God took a rib from the side of Adam while he was asleep and formed Eve. The side of Christ was opened with a lance while He was sleeping the sleep of death on the Cross. The Church was formed from the opened side of Christ with blood and water.
“This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Gn 2:24). The Son of God left His heavenly Father to become man; He left His earthly mother at the age of 30 in order to be attached to His spouse, the Church. Christ feeds the Church with His own Flesh and Blood daily in the Eucharist.
“This mystery has great significance, but I am applying it to Christ and the Church” (Eph 5:32).
聖經創世紀第一、二章講述天主創造宇宙和人類：第一章一節至第二章三節，集中說明為人類創造家園，第二章四節至二十五節，明言天主創造了第一對男女人類。
人類的家園
據創世紀論述，天主在首三天創造了受造生命能賴以活存的環境，次三天則創造了這些環境的管理者。
在第一天，天主創造了晝夜，第四天創造太陽掌管白晝，月亮管轄黑夜。
在第二天，天主創造穹蒼，把天空與海洋分開，第五天祂創造飛鳥及大魚，命牠們分別掌管長空與瀚洋。
在第三天，天主創造土壤和植物，第六天祂創造生畜，再創造了人類，讓人類享用和管理大地一切。
到了第七天，天主休作而把這一天定為安息聖日，並藉盟約邀請我們融匯在祂作息之內。
天主與祂的受造物，以安息日作為盟約。史葛.韓鑷博士指出：「在希伯來文『宣誓立盟』的字是根據希伯來文的《七》字。故此，希伯來人發誓時說『我宣誓立盟』時，是在說『我《七》自己』。因此，天主以七天創造世界，是很宇宙宣下盟約。」
天主的肖像
人類是照天主肖像受造的 –––– 「天主於是照自己的肖像造了人，就是照天主的肖像造了人：造了一男一女。（創世紀1:27）」
我們肖似天主，因為我們擁有智慧、自由意志和愛的能力。正因為肖似天主，人類生命是神聖的，我們要尊重每個人的尊嚴。
天主教要理聲明：「由於人按照天主的肖像而存在，每個人都有位格的尊嚴；他不只是一個物品，而是一個人。他能認識自己、擁有自己、自由地奉獻自己、並與其他的人溝通。他因恩寵而奉召與自己的造物主訂立盟約，向祂作出無人可替代的信仰和愛的回應。」
人類的個體及團體反映出天主的肖像，婚姻盟誓反映天主聖三的互愛。
創世紀1:28：「天主祝福他們說：『你們要生育繁殖。』」，也就是說，一男一女的婚姻盟誓，是天主所定的，為生育子女及夫婦的扶持。
創世紀2:21-23：論及天主創造女人，卻預示後來基督與祂的教會牢不可破的關係：天主在男人亞當熟睡時，從他身上取出一跟肋骨，造了女人厄娃；當基督在十字架上因死亡而熟睡時，肋旁被刺透，流出了血和水，以此毫無保留的犧牲，建立了祂的教會。
「為此人應離開自己的父母，依附自己的妻子，二人成為一體（創世紀2;24）」。天主聖子離開天廷，降生成人；後來又離開生母，依附自己建立的教會，並藉聖體聖事以自己的體血，每日養育教會。
「這奧秘真是偉大！但我是指基督和教會說的。（弗5:32）」