And god said:
“Let the earth produce beings, living,
according to their kinds:
livestock and
creeping things and
living things of the earth
each according their kind”
And it was so.

And God made
the living things of the earth
each according their kind
and the livestock
according to their kind
and all the creeping things of the earth
according to their kind

And god saw that it was good

And god said:
‘Let us make humankind
in our image
according to our likeness
and they will rule
the fish of the sea
the birds of the heavens
and the livestock
and all the earth
and all the creeping things creeping on the land’

And God created
humankind
in his image
according to his likeness
God created them
male and female
he created them.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

And god said:
‘Let the waters swarm with a swarm of beings, living
and let flying things fly about
across the earth
across the face of the firmament of the heavens’

And god created
the great sea-monsters and
all living things that creep
with which the waters swarm
according to their kind
and all winged birds
according to their kind
and god saw that it was good.

And god blessed them
saying
‘Be fruitful
multiply
and fill the waters in the seas
and let the birds multiply
on the earth.’

And there was evening and
there was morning
Fifth day

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin (735-804)

And god said
‘let there be lamps
on the firmament of the heavens
to make a separation
between the day
and between the night
and let them be signs
for seasons
and for days and years.
and let them
be as lights on the firmament of the heavens
to light the earth. ‘
And it was so
And God made two great lights
the greater one to rule the day
and the lesser one to rule the night
– and the stars

And god put them on the firmament of the heavens
to light the earth.
and to rule the day and the night
and to make a separation between the light and the darkness
And God saw that it was good

and it was evening and morning
Fourth day!

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

And god said
let the waters
under the heavens
gather to one place
and let the dry land appear
and it was so.

And god called the dry-land
‘earth’
and the gathered waters
he called
‘seas’
and God saw that it was good

And god said
let the land grow ‘grass’:
seed yielding plants
trees bearing fruit, with seed in them
according to their kinds
And it was so.

The land produced ‘grass’
seed yielding plants
trees bearing fruit, with seed in it,
according to their kinds
and God saw that it was good

An there was evening and morning
Day Three!

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

And god said
let there be a firmament
in the middle of the waters
and let it be a ‘separator’
between waters (for the waters.)
And god made the firmament
and it made a separation
between the waters which were under the firmament
and between the waters which were from above the firmament
and it was so
and god called the firmament – heavens (sky)
and it was evening
and it was morning
second day!

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

And god said ‘Let there be light’
and there was light,
and god saw the light
that it was good
and god made a separation
between the light
and between the darkness.
and god called the light – day
and he called the darkness — night
and there was evening
and there was morning
-day one!

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

At first
god created
the heavens and the earth
and the earth was unorganised and empty
and darkness was upon the face of the Deep
and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm