IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF GOD IMAGO DEI

WHO SEES ME SEES GOD

Jesus is not made in image and likeness of God. Jesus is God! “Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantialof one Being with the Father.” (Nicene Creed)

“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27 The image of God (Latin: imago dei) refers to the immaterial part of humanity. It sets human beings apart from the animal world, fits them for the dominion God intended them to have over the earth (Genesis 1:28), and enables them to commune with their Maker.

Adam was like God not in his outward appearance but internally. We must remember that God is spirit (John 4:24). Adam was made “in” the image of God. We are like God in many ways, but we are not God in any way. This is only true of Jesus.

It is the spiritual qualities of God that we humans image.  We reflect God’s intellect and free will. Anytime someone invents a machine, writes a book, paints a landscape, or names a pet, he or she is proclaiming the fact that we are made in God’s image.

Socially, humanity was created for fellowship, God made the first woman because “it is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Fellowship is a reflection of God’s triune nature in relationship with the Son (the beloved) and the Holy Spirit (the love between them.)  Every time someone marries, makes a friend, or hugs a child, he or she is demonstrating the fact that we are made in the likeness of God. made for relationships.

Part of being made in God’s image is that Adam had the capacity to make free choices. Adam and Eve made an evil choice to rebel against their Creator. In so doing, they marred the image of God within themselves, and passed that damaged likeness on to all of their descendants, a clouding of the intellect and weakness of the will. “Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all” (Romans 5:12).

Today, we still bear the image of God James 3:9, but we also bear the scars of sin. Mentally, morally, socially, and physically, we show the effects of sin.

But God was not going to abandon His work that He declared was good.  He sent us a most Holy Redeemer, His only begotten Son, Jesus, who begins to restore God’s image as willed by God in the first place. “Through Christ, we are made new creations in the likeness of God”2 Corinthians 5:17

“We have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Now with our redemption in Christ, we have put on the new man. We have put on Christ, and this now becomes a process of shaping us, making us again into the image of our Creator.” Colossians 3:10

.It is in Christ, Redeemer that the divine image, disfigured in man by the first sin, has been restored to its original beauty and ennobled by the grace of God. CATECHISM OF CATHOLIC CHURCH 1701

REFLECTIONS

Man, enticed by the Evil One, abused his freedom at the very beginning of history. He succumbed to temptation and did what was evil. He is now inclined to evil and subject to error and to an eternal punishment unless he or she repents of his or her sins. His mercy endures forever! Psalm 118

It is true that as we look at humanity today, we see a great difference between the holiness of God’s character and human character. We have distorted the very nature of God’s character in humanity because of our rejection of God’s holiness and rule in our lives. To sin is to reject holiness.  God made us to be holy, a people set apart, a witness to all nations, to worship God and reject Satan and all his works.

RITE OF BAPTISM

Here a few questions the celebrant ask the parents/adult at their Baptism:

Celebrant: Do you reject Satan?

Parents/Adults: I do.

Celebrant: And all his works?

Parents/Adult: I do.

Celebrant: Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

Parents/Adult: I do.

Celebrant: Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?

Parents/Adult: I do.

Celebrant: Do you reject Satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?

Parents/Adult: I do.

God hates sin. To make infinite reparation for infinite offense of sin, it took a human and divine nature in the person of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, consubstantial with the Father to make amends and save us from our sins and eternal death separated from God.  Thank our Savior, Jesus Christ every day.

By his reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him “to do what is good and avoid what is evil.” Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in our conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Do not repress or ignore our conscience.  It is God’s gift to us.

 What does being made in image and likeness of God mean to you?  What steps are you taking to help Jesus restore that image? In union with his Savior, a disciple, which we are, attains the perfection of charity which is holiness. God is love. As we mature in grace, the moral life blossoms into eternal life in the glory of heaven.

IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM;

MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM” GENESIS 1:27