“And God blessed them, saying: ‘Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth. And God said: Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed upon the earth, and all trees that have in themselves seed of their own kind, to be your meat: And to all beasts of the earth, to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. And it was so done. And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.”
God gave a blessing to Adam and Eve, to mirror the Trinitarian image by yielding a third person as an overflow of love, not subject to lust but in chaste, upright, pure love bringing forth the glories of marriage, which are children: “Behold the inheritance of the Lord are children: the reward, the fruit of the womb” (Psalm 126:3). This would not be for the preservation of the human race, but to give the gift of life, the gift of harmony with God and others: “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 132:1), which is still the case, even with the suffering and brokenness that comes with the fallen human condition. All men are called to holiness, to love and intimacy with God, and in varying degrees, with others: “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). Because this wondrous love, this life of love, is such a spectacular gift, it is of great value to bring forth natural children: “Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name, receiveth me” (Mark 9:36), and even greater to beget spiritual children: “He must know that he who causeth a sinner to be converted from the error of his way, shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20); “I have no greater grace than this, to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 1:4). In subduing the earth and ruling over it, this is not a dictatorial call to denigrate or treat lowly that which is created, but to walk with creation in a type of friendship, appreciating the beauty of every created thing without submitting oneself to it: “They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of fourfooted beasts, and of creeping things” (Romans 1:23). Because man and creation lived in such magnificent harmony, nothing attacked people, such as can be seen with bears, but lived entirely under the dominion of man, while the divine attributes expressed through these creatures were seen most clearly, without the weight of sin clouding the eye of one’s understanding: “’What wilt thou that I do to thee?’ But he said: ‘Lord, that I may see’” (Luke 18:41). There can be another meaning in addition to this, that “increase and multiply” means to increase in spiritual goods, and multiply these goods by sharing them with others, for love and knowledge are the goods of the soul, and Adam and Eve could profoundly know the things of God by their walking with Him: “And when they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in paradise at the afternoon air” (Genesis 3:8) and then, by their unique insights, share them with each other, growing even more in their appreciation for the God of love. God then gave the plants of the earth for man and beast to eat, as the love between all things kept a harmony that excluded violence, and this harmony returns when one loves at all times, for “whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:22); “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). As love is the only salve to hatred, “Thy name is as oil poured out” (Canticle 1:2), it is love alone that restores this harmony in one’s soul with God, others, and creation, and this is a gift that He happily gives to those who ask: “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7); “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). Finally, God looks upon the entirety of His work, and sees that it is very good, like an artist stepping back from his masterpiece to smile at the beauty that came forth at his hands. Just as a child loves their parents because they gave life, cared for them, surrounded them with good things, taught them, put up with them in their times of struggle, and because they are theirs, so too does God give you life: “It is he who giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25), care for you “He found him in a desert land, in a place of horror, and of vast wilderness: he led him about, and taught him: and he kept him as the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10, place an entire magnificent world around you: “All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever” (Daniel 3:57), teach you: “Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), shows patience with you: “The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy” (Psalm 102:8), and belongs to you as you to Him: “I to my beloved, and my beloved to me, who feedeth among the lilies” (Canticle 6:2). The entirety of creation, then, its interwoven nature is radiant, for the individual brushstrokes are all called good, but together on the canvas of creation are called very good. It can then be asked why this did not take place in a moment of time, as God could have done? There are many reasons, but one is to show the journey of love in your life, Theophila, because love is not a spark, an instant, though it may be filled with magnificent individual moments, but that it grows like a tree, extending its roots ever deeper while growing all the more fruitful, strong, and beautiful. It is not an individual encounter with God that denotes a spiritual life, but a lifelong walk with Him, growing accustomed to Him and His ways, until you are fully comfortable in His presence, with a shining, radiant love as a result: “I am a wall,” closed to earthly delights, “and my breasts,” which are acts of love of God and neighbor that from the heart, “are as a tower since I am become in his presence as one finding peace” (Canticle 8:10).