Genesis 1:1-2:2

Genesis 1:1-2:2

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,

the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,

while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,

"Let there be light," and there was light.

God saw how good the light was.

God then separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night."

Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

Then God said,

"Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,

to separate one body of water from the other."

And so it happened:

God made the dome,

and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.

God called the dome "the sky."

Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.

Then God said,

"Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,

so that the dry land may appear."

And so it happened:

the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,

and the dry land appeared.

God called the dry land "the earth, "

and the basin of the water he called "the sea."

God saw how good it was.

Then God said,

"Let the earth bring forth vegetation:

every kind of plant that bears seed

and every kind of fruit tree on earth

that bears fruit with its seed in it."

And so it happened:

the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed

and every kind of fruit tree on earth

that bears fruit with its seed in it.

God saw how good it was.

Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.

Then God said:

"Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,

to separate day from night.

Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,

and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,

to shed light upon the earth."

And so it happened:

God made the two great lights,

the greater one to govern the day,

and the lesser one to govern the night;

and he made the stars.

God set them in the dome of the sky,

to shed light upon the earth,

to govern the day and the night,

and to separate the light from the darkness.

God saw how good it was.

Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.

Then God said,

"Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,

and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky."

And so it happened:

God created the great sea monsters

and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,

and all kinds of winged birds.

God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,

"Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;

and let the birds multiply on the earth."

Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.

Then God said,

"Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:

cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds."

And so it happened:

God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,

and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.

God saw how good it was.

Then God said:

"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,

the birds of the air, and the cattle,

and over all the wild animals

and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."

God created man in his image;

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying:

"Be fertile and multiply;

fill the earth and subdue it.

Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,

and all the living things that move on the earth."

God also said:

“See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth

and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;

and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,

and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,

I give all the green plants for food.”

And so it happened.

God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.

Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.

Since on the seventh day God was finished

with the work he had been doing,

he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have prepared all human history for the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son. From the creation of the world to the call of Abraham, from the formation of the nation of Israel to the Kingdom of David, from the prophets to the fullness of time, you have guided all things and have revealed your great love for us through the sending of your Son and your Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Seven Easter Vigil Readings and the Waters of Salvation: The Liturgy of the Word for the Easter Vigil has seven readings from the Old Testament. One of the running themes in the seven readings is that of water. In the First Reading, the Spirit of God hovers over the waters of creation. In the Second Reading, the binding of Isaac prefigures the death and resurrection of Jesus, which Jesus himself compares to a baptism. In the Third Reading, the people of Israel are freed from slavery and saved from the threat of Egypt by passing through the waters of the Sea. In the Fourth Reading, Isaiah refers to the days and “waters of Noah,” promising that God loves his people, will redeem them, will establish a covenant of peace with them, and will have mercy upon them. In the Fifth Reading, the Lord, through Isaiah, invites the thirsty people to come to the water and listen that they might have life. He promises to renew the Davidic covenant with the people. Just as the rain and snow water the earth and make it fertile and fruitful, so God’s word will descend upon the people and accomplish God’s will. In the Sixth Reading, the secretary of the prophet Jeremiah, Baruch, accuses the exiled people of Judah of forsaking the foundation of wisdom. God’s wisdom, however, appeared on earth and moved among the people, giving life to those who cling to her. In the Seventh Reading, the Lord promises through Ezekiel to sprinkle clean water upon the people, to cleanse them, and give them a new heart and a new spirit. All of these readings point to the mystery of our Baptism, by which we die with Christ and rise to new life with him.

2. The First Six Days of Creation: In the First Reading, we hear the story of creation. Genesis focuses on the purpose of creation and how God created everything. God gave the universe its form or structure. This is what happens in the first three days of creation. Day and night are formed and distinguished on the first day; the sky and water are formed and separated on the second day; the land is separated from the water on the third day. The next three days fill the realms that were established with their rulers. The sun, the moon, and the stars were created to rule the day and night on the fourth day. The birds and fish were created to rule the sky and seas on the fifth day. The animals and man were created to rule the earth on the sixth day. At the pinnacle of all visible creation is the human being, created in the image and likeness of God. 

3. The Seventh Day and the New Creation: On the seventh day, God rested. This was not because God was tired from his work of creation. It is an image of divine and eternal life. The number seven indicates that God made a covenant with creation and calls human beings to become members of his divine family. Creation has a purpose: God “freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life” (Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1). When we read the story of the creation of the world at the Easter Vigil, it reminds us that through our Baptism, we become a new creation. We did not merit this grace of divine life. It was a gift restored to us through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, on this Holy Night, I will see and recall the great mystery of Baptism, which is a share in your death and resurrection. I have died with you and am raised to new life. Help me to live this new life to the fullest and experience its joy. Alleluia!

Living the Word of God: Am I grateful for the grace of my baptism and my participation in Christ’s death and resurrection? Do I realize that I am a child of God the Father, a brother of Christ, and a Temple of the Holy Spirit through my Baptism? Do I see myself as a new creation in Christ? How should I act in accord with my Baptism?