Thursday February 21, 2019 – Be fertile and multiply

And the Lord God said, let there be sex. And there was sex. And babies soon followed.

OK, I made that up.

But when you think about how God communicated to our fathers in the faith, especially in the Old Testament – and by extension, I would argue, to our present generation – it’s not hard to imagine Him urging us to have sex.

Be fertile and multiply fill the earth! (GN 9)

Those are his words in today’s first reading for Noah, who had just survived 40 days of rain and deadly floods … and is now charged with starting over.

Be fertile and multiply … and fill the earth!

Those were also the words God spoke to the first man and woman he created – on Day 6, I believe – in the first story of creation.

From that point on, God gave a similar message to Abraham (look up at the sky and count the stars if you can … just so, shall your descendants be.)

In other words, time to get busy old man!

Again, I exaggerate.

But there is truth to this command from God for married couples to be fertile and multiply. It really cannot be overstated – mankind’s very future depends on this single act of sexual intercourse which has the potential to result in a child.

Seems rather unbelievable to have to write these things, but you see what has happened in places like China, where the state imposed a strict policy on children – forcing abortions while trying to limit the number of children. Today, there are many media reports that China has a serious issue on its hand with a population that is not replacing itself, has too many males, not enough females – and certainly is not providing enough workers to fill the jobs of the future.

China is not the only nation to have these problems. Other countries are battling the same issue with young couples that are choosing to delay having children or not having them at all. Some nations are offering cash bonuses for couples willing to “be fertile and multiply.”

We will see how that goes.

All of this craziness can be partially blamed on one of the greatest lies of our lifetime … the fear of “over-population” and the rise of a contraceptive and abortive culture that has led to the devaluation of human life.

Babies are not seen as blessings any more (by some) but as commodities to plan for, prevent or extinguish in order to satisfy the expectations, desires or perceived hardships of mothers and fathers.

Skip ahead to the Gospel today – which has nothing to do with sex, but does have a really cool line that fits right … about … here …

Jesus told Peter … Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.

I think that is our problem. When we decide to try and plan out our lives and where children may or may not fit, we are thinking too much like humans and not enough like God. We really need to constantly pray for guidance and seek to do God’s will, not our own.

Poor Peter today. He was just expressing horror and defiance that his Rabbi would be rejected, arrested and killed. He was missing the bigger picture.

Now, I realize there are many valid reasons for young married couples to tread lightly when it comes to pregnancy. And I hope that they seek the advice of medical professionals, spiritual directors and pastors to navigate those things.

I also realize that there are many, many examples of wonderful marriages that produce much fruit in this world – even though there are no children.

I offer my own marriage as an example.

Still, I would like to remind our younger generation that there is a reason that sex feels so good. It’s because God wants us to enjoy this act of self-giving love that can result in a child.

He wants you to have sex … to have children … to be fruitful and multiply.

The world may be telling you differently. They may be selling you some fake news about how the Earth is just not big enough for more babies …

Don’t believe it.

There is plenty of room on God’s green earth. And He loves every child conceived in the womb … up until the moment they enter the tomb.

We should all be like God and begin treating every human as a blessing, the way Noah, Adam, Abraham and Jesus did.

Today’s first reading closes with a bit of an apology and a promise from God to Noah, who was probably still dripping wet from the storms …

I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.

That gave Noah the confidence to be fruitful … and multiply, which he did.

Let us pray that we do our part to preserve this covenant with God by counting our blessings … one child at a time.

About the Author

Dan McFeely is a Carmel, Indiana, writer, communications business owner, book editor and a former professional journalist. Dan also works as an Adult Faith Formation Minister, currently serving as a spiritual director for the men's and women's Christ Renews His Parish program at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Carmel. He is a graduate of the Ecclesial Lay Ministry program offered by the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana and has studied theology at Marian University.

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10 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for these reflections, they are very educative, interesting and spiritually uplifting. I particularly enjoyed yesterday and today’s reflections which I read. I enjoyed them and will continue to read from this website.
    May God bless you all who find time to write these reflections.
    Thank you.

  3. That was some straight talk from God to Noah and some straight talk from Dan M. to us catholics. Both well said and well taken. Count your blessings people…each and every child is precious.

  4. Thank you Dan. Your reflections are so timely. It’s truly the work of Satan to separate love from sex, and children from love, and finally, the elimination of children all together. The exact opposite of God’s order to be fruitful and multiply. It has cost us so much pain and division in our families. God bless.

  5. Another reason not to have children or just have one or two kids is the cost of bringing up the children is getting higher each year. Married couples who to try to make ends meet may not afford to start a family as cost of living is getting higher nowadays. That is why some countries offer bonus by gov and tax relief if have kids.

  6. Dan, are you also a climate change denier? Can you back up your claim that there is no overpopulation with scientufic evidence? As in, articles from credible journals? Let’s see some references, please! And yes, you can have faith in both God and science. Need proof (or faith, as you would have it)? Take the Vatican and its scientists.

    And Louis is right. People are finding it hard to make ends meet. Having more kids means taking food out of the mouths of the kids you already have. Nevermind no savings for post-secondary education.

    What a thoughtless, irresponsible post, full of propaganda!

  7. Dan,
    I loved your post. I completely agree with you. God is in charge and always helps us make room for a baby.
    Thank you!
    K

  8. To A, On paper, my parents could not afford the eight children they had. I was the 6th and during my mom’s eight pregnancy, a brain tumor was discovered and, after delivery of my youngest brother, surgery to remove it caused paralysis on her left side and unalterable changed our future family life.
    She died 3 years ago at the ripe old age of 93, with 7 of us at her side during the week that leading up to her death.(my eldest brother did in Vietnam Nam)
    I, on the other hand, had the standard 2 children, consenting to my husbands’s vascectomy, and have lived to regret this decision, knowing that I have no idea what God intended for me, because I did not allow Him to be part of the equation. My trust was in my own decision making, not His.
    Our finite minds, judgements and conclusions about overpopulation issues are just that, the manifestations of limited understanding due to us being mortal beings. God knows all and His masterplan for mankind is clear to Him, not us. We lack trust, so we think we no better than He. I’m glad my parents trusted.

  10. In response to A. It didn’t seem to me that Dan was promoting irresponsibility or thoughtlessness concerning procreation. I felt it was just the opposite. There are 83 countries that are not at population replacement rate (that’s over half the countries in the world). The other countries are at our over replacement rate. I recently heard a woman from Africa speak (unfortunately, I can’t remember what country she was from but it was monetarily poor). She said what they get from first world countries is a push for birth control when what they want is health care to keep their children and families alive (and I know you didn’t say anything for or against birth control, you were just saying that some people can’t afford to have a lot of children)…just food for thought.

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