Bone of my Bones & Flesh of my Flesh

Genesis 2: 23a reads, " This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." Right off the bat we think this means woman man made of the same material as man. She was taken from his rib, so naturally she is made of the same "stuff" he is made of. Brueggemann of the Eden Thological Seminary in an article entitled, "Of the Same Flesh and Bone" points out that that Flesh from the root "bsr" has a physical meaning and a psychological connotation of frailty. Bone has a similar psychological connotation of power. So putting the words flesh and bone together meant for the ancient Israelites the entire range of weakness and strength. To be "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh" indicates a kind of binding to another person such that there is a covenant relationship of fidelity through thick and thin. Marriage is a binding gift of self as a "helper" to your spouse in unfailing loyalty through every trial and triumph of life. "This one at last..."

Gossip

In the 5th chapter of Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, Paul who is wary about the seemingly eminent coming of Christ, exhorts the people to be vigilant, to be children of the day, to be awake and not asleep at the hour that Christ comes. But after these instructions he says, "therefore encourage one another and build each other up, as you are doing." 

Words are important. Paul realizes words of encouragement will help the Thessalonian community to live in vigilance until Christ came. These words of affirmation are life-giving and up-lifting. They are the kind of words that we need to give to each other in order to help each other best live out our Christian mission. 

But words can also bring a kind of death. Gossip. There is a huge question we should consider: When we are talking about other people what is acceptable and good and what is gossip? Fr. John Malign O.P.  in his homily today clarified that words about another person can be true or not true and helpful or not helpful. You should always avoid spreading any words about someone that are not true. This would be slander and lying. But just because something is true about someone does not mean it should be shared to the world. Just because Tim made a dumb comment in class does not mean that your friends at lunch need to hear about it. Unless what you are saying about another person is helpful, it should not be shared at all. The words you say about others should be helpful to the person you are talking about, helpful to the person you are talking to, and helpful to yourself. If not, you are spreading negative things about a person and unnecessarily reducing their reputation. There is no need for this use of words. Speak the truth in ways that are helpful, not harmful. Then you can be one of those who follows the advice of Paul to "build each other up."  

Social Justice and Public Policy

Today I met with Tom Malloy, a policy advisor at the DSD of the JPHD at the USCCB. I learned some really key things about American poverty and the government's role in eradicating it.

1) The government has a moral obligation to uphold the dignity of the human person. This means that the government is responsible for policy that promotes families and individuals and builds for them an environment where they are able to provide for themselves and their families.

2) The poverty rate would be increased about 45% if it were not for Government Aid

3) Government is responsible for Social Justice, creating just systems under which people can find fair work, decent housing, educational opportunities, and sufficient food. The Government also has the unique capability and money to provide charitable services to large populations in ways that could not be accomplished by the private sector alone. This is evidenced in the fact that even with government access now, a whopping 46 million americans are still in poverty. If private social services and nonprofits could reduce that number, they would do so now. The fact is they do not have the resources. Government absence from social service would lead to an increase of the poverty rate from 15% of America to something more like 25% of America.

Faith in Creation and Evolution

I recently heard a man on the metro say, "And those Catholics, man. Evolution happened. You can't deny it." Since the age of Darwin there has been a conflict between creation and evolution in which the two are often considered mutually exclusive. But they need not be.

Pope Benedict calls evolution and creation "complementary realities"(Benedict, 50). The former explains how man came to be while the latter explains what man is. Evolution explains the exterior formation of the species while creation explains the interior origin of a child of God.

Many scientists today believe in evolution and divine creation. I'm no scientist but the world did not need to form as it did. According to the laws of physics, the mathematical probability of any life coming to exist is very close to zero. Even less likely is the probability of that life evolving into humanity.

Additionally, evolution occurs when an error in reproduction causes a defect in the species. If this defect proves advantageous, it is sustained in future generations. Our existence, therefore,  as evolved animals is a result of genetic defects.

But do we really have the nerve to say that all of humanity in its intricateness has no creative Reason behinds its existence. We are not the product of some random error! Rather "the human being is indeed a divine project, which only the creating intelligence was strong and great and audacious enough to conceive of"(56-57). Our existence only makes sense in light of One who was smart enough and artful enough to create such an exquisite creation.

"I did not have to exist but I do exist and you, O God, wanted me to exist" (53).

Benedict XVI. 'In the Beginning...'. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.