Day 1: In the Beginning

 For today's reading: Genesis 1 & 2; Psalm 19

In the first two chapters of Genesis, we are given the story of Creation. This is not intended to be a scientific textbook, but rather a basic account of Who God Is and how Creation came about. We see what has always struck me as different from all the other stories of that time: a single God creates us ex nihilo simply by His word alone: "God said". Not from violence, jealousy, or domination, but because of His goodness.

In the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, we see this in the footnotes about creation stories from Near East paganism:

According to the pagan myths, a pantheon of deities existed in the beginning; the gods were embodied in nature and had humanlike needs and imperfections; the world was born out of a struggle between the gods; and man was created only to be exploited by the gods. (p. 57)

Yet, we find something completely different in the Bible. As the BIY Companion, Vol 1 notes: 

Unlike other creation stories, Genesis shows that God did not create human beings to be his slaves or entertainment - he created us to share in his own life. No religion or worldview apart from the Judeo-Christian believes that human beings have been created in God's image and likeness. (p. 6)

Our primordial parents, Adam & Eve, are introduced. With that, today's reading from Genesis ends. 

In Psalm 19, we find the psalmist rejoicing in "telling the glory of God" in what He did by  creation; the will of God as revealed in the Law; and the mercy of God to forgive transgressions against His law (Ignatius, p. 845). 

The last is summed up in this last verse:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of

        my heart

    be acceptable in your sight,

    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Ps 14)