Lists Every Catholic Should Know

Order of Creation

The Order of Creation

1st Day:

A dividing of light from darkness brings forth Heaven and a formless, water-covered Earth, then Light

2nd Day:

A dividing of the waters above from the waters below to create the Firmament of Heaven

3rd Day:

A dividing of the waters under the heavens to form dry land; then grass, herbs, and fruit trees

4th Day:

Sun, Moon and Stars

5th Day:

Creatures of the waters and of the air

6th Day:

Creatures of the land, then Man

Note:
God, Who is of the supernatural order, created the natural and preternatural (e.g., the angelic) orders out of nothing (ex nihilo), in time ("in the beginning"), and for His own pleasure. Only God can "create," and because of this, it is actually rather blasphemous to refer to man as "creating" anything. Man can produce, re-produce, manufacture, form, fashion, fabricate, design, shape, or make -- but he cannot bring into existence anything out of nothing. Angels and demons, too, are limited and cannot do the truly miraculous. They are able, however, to take what is created and manipulate it in ways that seem miraculous and are able to influence our perceptions and imaginations.

You can remember the Order of Creation by thinking of the first three days as days which God spent creating forms and frameworks by dividing the elements, and the last three days as the days He spent creating things to fill those forms created by dividing the elements, e.g.:

Day 1 Light---> Day 4 specific forms of light in the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Day 2 the Firmament/waters---> Day 5 birds to fill the firmament, and fish to fill the waters

Day 3 dry land---> Day 6 land animals and man