What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God?

1. St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Cathedral Confirmation Class – 2Cathedral Confirmation Class – 2ndnd
SemesterSemester
Chapter 2: God’s Good Rational CreaturesChapter 2: God’s Good Rational Creatures

2. God’s Good Rational CreaturesGod’s Good Rational Creatures
Poornima D’SouzaPoornima D’Souza
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4. Ch:2 – Learning Objectives
What does it mean to be made in the
image and likeness of God?
Genesis teaches us that human beings are unique and the pinnacle of God’s creation

5. What is the reason for our unique and lofty position in creation?
Use your worksheet to free write

6. Redemption
God also entrusted the world to human beings
to use and develop through their work
 the earth and its resources to the
common stewardship of mankind
to take care of them,
master them by labor
enjoy their fruits.

7. 
What word best describes our responsibility to
use and develop God’s creation entrusted to us?
Use your worksheet to free write

8. Stewards / Stewardship
Develop God’s creation entrusted to us
 by becoming good stewards
 Stewardship – a way of life
 Recognizing, sharing and multiplying God’s gifts

9. Image and Likeness
 Why did God create us?

God created us because of his love. He shares is
goodness, beauty, truth, and love with us.

We are able to respond to God’s goodness b/c we have
a rational soul which is the basic meaning of being
made in the image of God.

A rational soul is immaterial and immortal. Our bodies
will die but our souls live forever.
 Our immortal soul makes us like God. The difference is that
we were created and God always was.
 He existed eternally, meaning there was never a time he didn’t
exist.

10. Image and Likeness
 The Human Soul is also rational – meaning it has spiritual
powers of intellect and will. Intellect enables us to know
and our human will allows us to choose.
 Our spiritual soul enables us to know, love and serve God
in this life and share in his friendship for eternity.
 Our human soul is the key that gives us each our own
dignity and reflects the divine life of God.
 Finally – we are not something but someone. Why is this
distinction important? B/c we use things and love people.
When we use people and/or love things it is sin.
 Where do we go when we sin? CONFESSION!

11. Body and Soul

Our Body is the material part of
our person and is sacred

Our Soul is the spiritual principle
of the body and unifies the two.

Body is created by God through
our parents and the soul is
created directly by God

12. State of Marriage
 God Created Man in the State of Marriage
 God created us male and female in his image.
 Men and women are physically, emotionally and
spiritual different
 This makes us complementary in relationship
 Differences make us complementary in relationship
and reflect the image of GOD’s power and loving
care.
 Adam and Eve were created in a state of marriage.
Marriage is God made not man-made.
Marriage is a lifelong union of one man and one
woman as God design form the very beginning.
 Jesus reiterates this in Gospel of Matthew

13. Charity and Chastity
Two very important virtues for our
relationships
Charity is love in action and it
considers the well-being of others
Chastity moderates our sexual
desire according to our vocation.
God has a plan for human sexuality
both in married and unmarried
people.

14. Fruitfulness
God as called couples in
marriage to give themselves to
each other and to be fruitful.
Having children is part of God’s
plan for marriage
Family is the original cell of our
life!

15. The Original State of Man
We are created in a state called
original holiness as children of God.

16. Conclusion
We see from Scripture how …
 God endowed us with his own image and likeness
 as rational souls endowed with intellect, free will and
immortality
 giving us a unique and lofty position among all his
creatures.
 were given certain responsibilities to care for his early
creation.
In the next chapter, we will examine how our
first parents’ misuse of free will has sullied all
subsequent generations.

17. Questions or Comments

18. References
 Hahn, S. The Church: Sacrament of Salvation (1998). Didache Series: Midwest Theological
Forum
 wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalore
 http://www.stjosephcathedral.net/
 http://www.omniglot.com/
 http://creationsjourneytolife.blogspot.com/
 http://www.fpcbloomington.org/
 http://www.copticworld.org/

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20. THE END.