This autumn has been exceptionally beautiful. The colors on the trees, the warm, sunny days, the cold nights and the scuffle of leaves on the ground point to the wonder and grace of creation.
When I contemplate the beauty of the world, my thoughts turn to the Divine Artist who paints every sunset.
When I ponder the complexity, order and harmony of creation, I think of the Divine Intelligence who brought all things into being and sustains them with His power.
When I muse on the mystery and wonder of human life — that of others and my own, I praise the Divine Love, our God and Father who loves us as His children in Christ.
The glory of creation
Way back in the early Church, St. Clement wrote in wonder at the glory of creation.
“By His direction the heavens are in motion, and they are subject to Him in peace. Day and night fulfill the course He has established without interfering with each other. The sun, moon, and the choirs of stars revolve in harmony at His command in their appointed paths without deviation. By His will the earth blossoms in the proper seasons and produces abundant food for men and animals and all the living things on it without reluctance and without any violation of what He has arranged . . . The seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter follow each other in harmony. The quarters from which the winds blow function in due season without deviation . . . The great Creator and Lord of the universe commanded all these things to be established in peace and harmony, in His goodness to all, and in overflowing measure to us who seek refuge in His mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ; to Him be glory and majesty for ever and ever.”
The Catechism reminds us that God created the world out of sheer goodness as an expression of His glory and deep love for all that He made.
St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians that we exist for the praise of the glory of God.
We need to remember the fundamental purpose of our existence: to be in relationship with God and to do His will, living in faith, hope, and love.
In a refreshing way, the saints remind us of this fundamental truth, shouting the glory of God from the housetops with the holiness and joy of their lives.
Harmony with God
St. Francis of Assisi stands out as one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church, a man completely transformed by Christ, living in perfect and beautiful harmony with God, other people, and all of creation.
His whole life was marked by an amazement at the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion.
The fact that God humbled Himself to embrace our humanity and then to take our place on the cross seared Francis’ heart with the astonishing mercy of the Lord.
Coupled with this spiritual geography was the saint’s profound regard for nature as an expression of God’s beauty and love.
Perhaps, because he spent most of his life out of doors, Francis could apprehend with incisive spiritual clarity the fingerprints of God in everything that existed.
If we never lift our eyes to the heavens, we will assume we are the highest point.
If we never immerse ourselves in the glory of the wind, the stars, the sun, and the trees, we think that what humanity has created is ultimate reality.
God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden; He stopped the building of the Tower of Babel.
I have never met a farmer who is an atheist. Compelled to trust in the providence of God and working the fields in the beauty of the elements, farmers observe up close the workings of the Creator.
Our culture would be more spiritual and peaceful if everyone spent more time in prayer, in nature, and in serving the poor.
These three fundamentals were hallmarks of the life of St. Francis.
One of the fundamental tenets of Catholic social teaching is the care for creation.
In Genesis, God gives authority to Adam to name the animals, and to serve as a steward of all which the Lord made.
The author of the creation narrative uses words marking Adam as the high priest and the world as the Temple.
The universe stands as an extension of God’s love, grace, and intention. He anoints us through Baptism in Christ to serve as priests.
The baptismal priesthood of the laity sanctifies the world. The ordained priesthood of the clergy sanctifies and forms the laity to fulfill their mission.
God gives us the usage of this remarkable planet to work out our salvation and to live in His grace, not to exploit the earth, not to exhaust its resources, not to simply satisfy our selfish desires, but to live in harmony, order, and peace with the Lord, one another, and all of creation.
In His poetic Canticle of the Creatures, St. Francis names all of nature’s elements as brothers and sisters.
He was blind when he wrote it, but his piercing vision inspire and guides us today.