Aug.16.01: Light For The Day - "God's Image and Likeness" -- Ephesians 4:23,24 (RSV) "And be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 And put on the new nature, created after the  likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." -------------------- Eternal Father, You said, "Let us make humankind to  our own image and likeness" (Ge 1.26). Thus You  were willing to share with us Your own greatness.  You gave us the intellect to share Your truth.  You gave us the wisdom to share Your goodness.  And You gave us the free will to love that which is  true and just. Why did you so dignify us? It was because You  looked upon us, and fell in love with us. It was  love which first prompted You to create us;  and it was love which caused You to share with  us Your truth and goodness. Yet Your heart must break when You see us turn  against You. You must weep when You see us  abusing our intellect in pursuit of that which is false.  You must cry with pain when we distort our  wisdom in order to justify evil. But you never desert us. Out of the same love  that caused You to create us, You have now sent  Your only Son to save us. He is Your perfect  image and likeness, and so through Him we can  be restored to Your image and likeness. -- Catherine Of Siena ------------------ -- John 3:16 (RSV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,  that whoever believes in him should not perish but have  eternal life."