Fr. Mike Schmitz

The gods creating the universe and human beings.

Genesis chapter 1 is like this macro event, and Genesis chapter 2 is this micro event, like zooming in on the first man and the first woman.

One of the things we recognize also, the macro event in Genesis chapter 1,

is that it doesn't have to be taken literally or historically and literally.

It did happen, but it is created and told in such a way that it is so deeply and profoundly poetic and revealing.

So for example, we have what?

We have the days of creation, six days of creation.

And we are not meant to take it literally.

And we know this, why?

Because on day one, God says, let there be light.

And he separated the light from the darkness and the light he called day and the darkness he called night.

But on day four, God finally makes the sun and the stars and the moon.

And so we realize that, wait a second,

There wouldn't be day and night unless there was sun and stars and moon, unless there was a purpose for how the sacred author laid this out.

So the first three days, there's light and darkness.

Second days, there's water and sky.

The third day, there is the separation between the water and land.

Well, then on day four, you have the lights of the dome of the sky.

You have the sun and stars and moon.

On day five, you have the flying things and things in the sea.