Old Testament

Before the universe was made, God alone existed. The one God in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—dwelt in eternal, perfect beatitude. There was nothing else: no stars, no planets, no animals, not even angels. Nothing else. And what was the eternal life of the three divine Persons? We can say that their eternal activity was knowing and loving one another—a ceaseless communion of love and knowledge.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Sacred Scripture recounts creation across six epochs designated as days (a pedagogical mode of expression that in no way conflicts with the big bang). On the seventh day God rested from the work of creation, and later established that this day be sanctified and dedicated to Him.

God most likely created the angels first: purely spiritual beings endowed with preeminent intellect and will. Through their penetrating intellect they grasp the truth with swiftness and precision; through their resolute will they make definitive choices without wavering.

- In His boundless goodness, God did not stop at the natural gifts He had bestowed upon them. He willed that the angels should share in His divine life and be welcomed into the divine family. He determined that this sublime treasure should not be imposed, but freely embraced through a trial of love and obedience. Thus:

• Many of these spirits remained steadfastly faithful to God and were rewarded with the eternal joy of heavenly glory. These are the holy angels.
• Many others, however, rejected God. Despising divine love, they chose self-exaltation and the pride of being independent of the Lord, as though they were not creatures. Consequently, they became separated from God forever, giving rise to hell. These are the demons.

God created man in His image and likeness, infusing within him a spiritual and immortal soul. The first man was named Adam, and God placed him in a blissful garden: the earthly paradise. He then created woman, Eve. Furthermore, the Lord endowed them with a participation in divine life—sanctifying grace—along with preternatural gifts: there was neither suffering, nor sickness, nor death. Instead, profound harmony reigned within the person, with the Creator, between husband and wife, and with all of creation.

- As with the angels, the Lord willed that man should freely embrace divine love and attain heaven by passing a trial. The devil, envious of their happiness, tempted them; man lost trust in his Creator, sought to be like God independent of Him, and disobeyed the divine command. Through this, Adam and Eve lost for themselves and their posterity their original holiness and gifts. Human nature, while not utterly corrupted, was wounded in its powers—subject to ignorance, suffering, and death, and inclined toward sin. Hence, to do good now requires conscious effort to overcome the inclination toward evil. This state of fallen human nature with which we are all born is called original sin.

- Adam and Eve were separated from God and expelled from paradise; yet God did not abandon humanity. Instead, He promised a Redeemer (the Messiah) who would reopen the gates of heaven. Later, the Lord renewed and unfolded this promise through the Patriarchs and Prophets.

They were the venerable heads of their families who stood out for their exemplary fidelity to God, preserving His promise and obeying the divine will. Preeminent among them were Abraham and his grandson Jacob, later named Israel. Their descendants formed the house of Jacob or the people of Israel. God promised Abraham that He would make him the father of a great nation, and that in his offspring the Messiah would be born.

- Jacob and his sons settled in Egypt, where their descendants multiplied into a great people. Among them arose Moses, whom the Lord chose to lead Israel out of bondage in Egypt and bring them to the land of Canaan, promised by God to Abraham. The Lord guided His people through the wilderness with wondrous miracles, such as the crossing of the Red Sea and the gift of manna. He revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai and gave him the Ten Commandments, sealing a covenant with the Israelites: they would be His people and He would be their God. Through Moses, Israel became fully conscious of its identity as a chosen nation.

- The people of Israel were not always faithful to the Lord. Whenever they fell into infidelity, foreign enemies subjugated them, until in repentance they cried out to God, who delivered them through upright leaders known as judges, such as Samuel. Later, they were governed by kings: first Saul, then David and Solomon. David was a man after the Lord's own heart.

- Subsequently, the kingdom divided in two: Israel (the ten northern tribes) and Judah (the two southern tribes). Periods of fidelity alternated with widespread moral decay and idolatry. Eventually, the Lord permitted their military defeat and deportation into exile.

- Throughout these centuries, the Lord raised up prophets, sending them to speak in His name, calling the people to repentance and reminding them of the covenant. Notable among them were Elijah and Elisha, who worked numerous miracles. Preeminent among the prophecies were those foretelling the coming Messiah, especially the visions of Isaiah and several Psalms of David.

- The Jewish people returned to Jerusalem, rebuilt the Temple, and sought to live with greater fidelity to God in eager anticipation of the Savior. When foreign Hellenistic rulers attempted to impose idolatry by force, heroic episodes of martyrdom and faithfulness occurred. The Maccabean brothers valiantly defended the people and their holy faith against these persecutions.

- Later, the Romans established dominion over the region, allowing local religious customs to continue. Then the fullness of time arrived for Jesus Christ to be born in Bethlehem. (Continued in: life of Christ).