“God created man in his image. In the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them.

“Then God blessed them and said to them, `Be fruitful and multiply! fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle and the animals that crawl on the earth."

We can add here that his first man and woman, our first parents, are known as Adam and Eve.

PURPOSE OF HUMAN LIFE

Crowds of people throughout the world today wonder about the purpose of our human life. Why am I here in this world? How am I to live? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

Here we see man’s position. He is the lord and master of the whole universe. All that exists is to help him on his journey through life-the land and the sea, space , the atom, plants and animals. He can use them all for himself.

Man stands at the head of the universe. But that is not the end of his story, for he, too, has been created by God. He is lord of the universe, but God is his Lord and Master. Man owes his beginning to God: he depends fully on God. He must, therefore, never forget this. He must recognize and acknowledge God as his Lord. AND THAT IS WHAT RELIGION IS.

Religion is man telling God that he is aware of his proper place before Him, That is religion, that is worship.

We can pause here and slowly and prayerfully make an act of worship. We can read the following words and listen for their call to us. And then we can say them again in our heart. This is a prayer that tells God we recognize Him, and that we see our place before Him.

“When I behold your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars which

you set in place

What is man that you should be

Mindful of him,

Or the son of man that you should

Care for him?

You have made him little less than