30 March 2024 Holy Saturday

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.

From Genesis 1:26-31 NRSV

The reading from the Book of Genesis is the first of several that we hear read on the night of Holy Saturday which is the highpoint of the whole liturgical year. As the church keeps vigil and then rejoices at the Resurrection, the readings provide an overview of the history of salvation and of the interventions made by God to bring this about. The first of these readings celebrates God’s act of Creation. We hear about the abundant and perfect world created by God with everything in perfect balance and ready to support human life. This is a God who wants everything for the best for his people and who delights in all that he has created. God entrusts this perfect world to people, expecting them also to delight in and care for it.