The Monk Explains:
Being a monk is simpler for us when we understand our role in creation. Also, we need to understand whether creation is completed or not, and if it is not completed, what does that mean and how does man come into play into that mix. on Genesis 1:26 we can get a sense of the steps that God took in creation and what he left for us to decipher. Let's look at Genesis 1:26 to Genesis 1:28 from a couple of translations so that we can open up each translation and understand the message that is given to us, keeping in mind that the English translation is not necessarily the original manuscript.
Let's look at Genesis 1:26 and forward using a couple of different translations:
A) [1]
B)[2]
As you can see, God said "Let us Create man to our image and likeness" yet this is at the point before creation. God set out to define what was to be created in the future. That futute came, and then, God's word said: "God Created man to His image". Once it came time to create man, God did not create him to is image. Although we tend to say that the two words "Image" and "Likeness" are Virtually Synonyms,[3] and yes, this does bring into light the dignity of man being to the image of God, we also see that man is created unfinished. If that is the case, then, creation itself is also unfinished.
Unfinished seems to be a hard way to put it for some of us who rightly believe that God would not leave something that he loves unfinished, yet we also know from Church Doctrine that man is to become glorified on the day or resurrection, or be dammed if he did not take advantage of salvation.
Adam, as well as all humans, were created immature, not as a punishment, but as a way of allowing them to exercise their free will. Humans need to grow in virtue and learn the faith. Adam was still immature at the time that Eve came to be and did not reach maturity until after the fall.
The mystic, Luisa Piccarreta, describes God giving Adam’s soul the power of the light of Three suns, stronger than our own sun. Each of this suns are described as one having the Power of the Father, the wisdom of the son and the love of the Hoy Spirit. Then she says that God took him by the hand and taught him to use the Power or the Father, the wisdom of the Son and the Love of the Holy Spirit. [4] Only once this was competed did God feel that his love had been completely shared.
[1] NABRE translation.
[2] Revised Standard Version
[3] The Catholic Study Bible Standard Edition, Donald Senior - John J. Collins - Mary Ann Getty(New York, NY, Oxford University Press), 12
In Our image, after our likeness: "Image" and "Likeness" (virtually synonyms) express the worth of human beings who have value in themselves (human blood may not be shed in 9:6 because of this image of God) and in their task, dominion (1:28), which promotes the rule of God over the universe.
[4] The Gift of Living in the Divine Will in the Writings of Luisa Piccarreta, Rev. Joseph Leo Lannuzzi Ph.B., STB, M. Div., STL, STD(Pittsburgh, PA., St. Andrews Production), 47
With our breath We infused in him a soul, in which Our paternal goodness then infused three suns, forming in his soul the unending and refulgent day that is not subject to any night. These three suns were formed by the power of the Father, the Wisdom of the Son and the love of the Holy Spirit. While being formed in the soul, these three suns remained in continuous communication with the three divine Persons in such a way that man possessed the way by which to ascend to Us, and We, the way by which to descend to him.
"The greatest degree of holiness is attainable by everyone."- Unknown
"A single act of uniformity with the Divnie Will will turn you into a saint."- Saint Hannibal de Francia
