11/29/2019

Q: How did God make us?
 
Brendan Binegar
Marietta
 
            A: We learn in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 27, that God made us in his image and likeness and gave us both a spiritual soul and also a body, which is made out of materials he used to create our planet and the universe. The important thing here is that God intended to make us.
            God did not accidentally make us when he intended to make something else. We read in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verse 27, when God said, “let us make man in his own image, for God made man and woman in his image.” You see, unlike humanity, when we try to make things with the materials given to us by God; God is the very one who created these materials both natural and supernatural. That is the material we see in front of us, as well as the spiritual of which our soul is made. How blessed we are for God to make us in his own image and for us to be offered eternal life because of his Son.
            This probably was not part of your question, but in baptism, we are remade because of Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection and ascension to the Father, namely, the paschal mystery.  Jesus’ self-giving is the very way in which we are offered eternal life.
 
            Q: Why aren’t we Jewish since Jesus was?
 
Marius Trouten
St. Clairsville
 
            A: Yes, Jesus was Jewish, as was Mary, his mother, and Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather.  The Jewish people, as God’s chosen people, are how Jesus saved the world.
            Jesus, as being both God and man, fulfilled all the promises made to the chosen people and, as a result, Jesus established a new people that are Christians. For as Christians, Jesus brought us into a new family as God’s adopted sons and daughters through Jesus’ paschal mystery.  (Yes, you can see there is a pattern here with the paschal mystery).
            The Jewish people, or chosen people, were the very people God chose to bring his son, Jesus, into the world for salvation of all humanity. And, then Jesus, both man and son of God, transformed and completed that relationship, or covenant, between God and the Jewish people, namely, the chosen people, completing it into the new people, namely, Christians. You see, our Jewish brothers and sisters are all related to us in a very personal and communal way, as fellow brothers and sisters in God’s name.
 
            Q: Why does the Lord pick certain people to fulfill his will?
 
Savanah Koller
Martins Ferry
 
            A: This question could be an entire class in Christology or the other branches of theology. If we first review Scripture, we see that before Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles, he took time in prayer with God the Father. Namely, Jesus did not arbitrarily or accidentally choose the Twelve Apostles; Jesus intended each one of them to be his immediate followers and, eventually, we would understand them as being the first bishops. This being said, Jesus showed us his will to choose men as apostles, as God would choose the apostles, not as we, mere human beings would.
            As I have mentioned before, Jesus did not engage in a Holy Land version of “America’s Got Talent.” The knowledge of God is not necessarily our knowledge.
            However, as the Catholic Church took root in the ancient times nearly 2,000 years ago, we have accounts of a number of the Apostles and how they evangelized following their reception of the Holy Spirit, traveling to places from Rome to India.
            Jesus chose the Twelve Apostles to fulfill his will, namely, God’s divine will. Jesus himself says for them to go out and to evangelize all nations (see, Matthew, Chapter 28, Verse 19) as well as, of course, establishing the church upon St. Peter, the first pope as he says, “upon this rock, I will build my church” (Mt 16:18). Jesus intentionally chose these men just as he intentionally chooses us now to fulfill his will in so many different ways, to evangelize the world of the good news.
            We hear how Jesus came into this world to redeem this world. That is you and me. He chooses us in baptism, as well as through the seven sacraments of the church, of which he established each one to serve and to evangelize the world, all the while deepening our encounter with Jesus Christ himself through his church.  Finally, why did Jesus choose certain people to do his will, because they would be his ambassadors to a world desirous to hear the good news of which is Jesus Christ, himself.
 
            May God bless you and your family as we quicken our pace to the Advent season of joyful anticipation.