Reflecting on the book of Genesis and the creation of man, the pope recalled that man has received three gifts from God: his love, an identity as being a child of God and the responsability to care for the world.
POPE FRANCIS
'He has given us work, the work of advancing Creation. Not to destroy it; but to make it grow, to care for it, to keep it and make it carry on. He gave everything. Itâ??s funny, I sometimes think, â??He did not give us money.â?? We have everything. Who gave us money? I donâ??t know. Grandmothers have this saying that â??the devil enters through the pocketâ??. This may beâ?¦ â?
The pope said that these are three gifts every Christian should protect and encourage. God has granted men and women the DNA of being His children, land to work on, and love to give and receive.
SUMMARY OF PAPAL HOMILY IN ENGLISH
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'First of all, He gave us His 'DNA', that is, He made us children, created us in His image, in His image and likeness, like Him. And when one makes a child, he cannot take it back: the son is made, he exists. And whether or not he carries resembles the father, he is a son; he has received his identity. If the child is good, his father is proud of that son, right?, 'Look at how good he is!'. And even if he is a little ugly, the father in any case says: 'Isnâ??t he beautiful!', because a father is like this. Always. And if the son is bad, the father justifies him, waiting for him ... Jesus taught us how a father waits for his children. He gave us the identity of a child: to 'man and woman', we must add the identity of â??childâ??. We 'are like gods', because we are children of God.â?
'As [God] worked in Creation, He has given us work, the work of advancing Creation. Not to destroy it; but to make it grow, to care for it, to keep it and make it carry on. He gave everything. Itâ??s funny, I sometimes think, â??He did not give us money.â?? We have everything. Who gave us money? I donâ??t know. Grandmothers have this saying that â??the devil enters through the pocketâ??. This may beâ?¦ God gave humanity all of Creation to preserve it and care for it: this is the gift. And finally, 'God created mankind in His image, male and female He created them.'â?
'Let us thank God for these three gifts He has given us: an identity, a gift/duty, and love. And let us ask for the grace to preserve this identity of a child, to work with the gift He has given us and to advance this gift with our work, and the grace to learn to love ever more each day.â?
