Embedded Files
We are at the beginning of THE VISIBLE WORLD
We talked the last couple of days about ANGELS
Angels in the Life of the Church
Angels as they ARE
Angels and what their PURPOSE is
Their NATURE is SPIRIT
Their FUNCTION is MESSENGER
Their FUNCTION is ANGEL
Now we have the VISIBLE WORLD
That was the INVISIBLE WORLD that abides in the HEAVENS
And now we are in the VISIBLE WORLD
If you are looking at the Ascension version of the Catechism today, every paragraph, more or less, begins with some italicized words
Paragraph 338 says, “Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator.”
Every paragraph has a THESIS statement
And then the rest of the paragraph breaks it down
Paragraph 339 says, “Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection.”
Since God created ALL things, then ALL things are essentially good
Paragraph 340 says, “God wills the interdependence of creatures.”
This means we rely each other
IN FACT…
None of us are REALLY AND TRULY INDEPENDENT of the rest of Creation
When it comes to the People of God, the Body of Christ, the Church, the hand cannot say to the foot, “I don’t need you.”
The eye cannot say to the ear, “I don’t need you.”
WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER!!
BUT ALSO…
That structure and interdependence is built into the created world as well
Like it or not, in some way we need mosquitoes! (I used to burn the wings off mosquitoes with a match back in med school days. They needed to be taught a lesson for all the times at night when they would buzz in my ear while I was trying to sleep!! 🤨)
That’s kind of a thing (But I wouldn’t miss them if God decided to take them all out, would you? 😉)
Paragraph 341 says, “The beauty of the universe…”
Not only is this universe created by God and has its own GOODNESS and PERFECTION
BUT ALSO…
The GOODNESS of the universe reflects the GOODNESS and BEAUTY of the CREATOR
Paragraph 342 is about “The hierarchy of creatures…”
We have a balance
They are often held in tension
Yes, God wills the interdependence of creatures in the sense that we need each other
At the same time, there is a hierarchy
Paragraph 343 says, “Man is the summit of the Creator’s work…”
Out of all that God has created in the VISIBLE WORLD humanity is at the TOP
What is the reason for that?
Nothing that WE have done
BUT…
The fact that we have been created in God’s image and likeness
To assert that doesn’t take anything away from the rest of Creation
Remember, there is the interdependence of creatures
The beauty of the universe
The created world has its own particular goodness and perfection
It doesn’t take anything away from them
It doesn’t take anything from the color red if you point out that something else is the color blue (Unless….it is Dallas Cowboys blue, the ugliest color ever created. Then it certainly DOES take something away!! 🤣🤪 I kid because I love 😉)
It doesn’t take anything away from the ground floor of an apartment building to point out the penthouse is the top floor
Because it is all PART OF WHAT IS NECESSARY
You couldn't have a penthouse without a ground floor
You couldn't have a 15th floor without a 14th floor
There is a HIERARCHY
There is VALUE
There is GOOD AND BAD
There is MORE PERFECT and there is LESS PERFECT
There is something in how it all FITS TOGETHER
We don’t have to ALL be the SAME in order to still be GOOD
THAT IS REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT!!
Tomorrow we are going to talk about the Sabbath
There is this uniqueness about the Sabbath day
As we go forward we will talk about how human beings are created in God’s image and likeness
And how human beings are created MALE AND FEMALE and how we are UNITED male and female as well
IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL!!
We get to look at the paradoxes that exist in our Faith
What are paradoxes?
They are things that are SEEMINGLY contradictory
BUT THEY ARE NOT AT ALL!!
They are just held IN TENSION
We get to assert TWO THINGS AT THE SAME TIME
Because we are entering into this area that may challenge our preconceptions, and how we see the world, we need GOD’S GRACE
So let’s pray!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we know that you love us. We know that you are with us. We thank you for this day. We thank you for all you have created, everything invisible and also everything visible. Everything we don’t see and everything we do see, we thank you because all of it reflects your beauty. All of it reflects your power and your goodness and your love for us. Keep us in your love. Help us to never wander away from it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”
Paragraph 337 says, “God himself created the visible world in all its richness, diversity, and order.”
WITH NO HELP WHATSOEVER!!
THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!
It is not only RICH
It is DIVERSE
There is a DEPTH there
There is DIVERSITY there
BUT…
There is also ORDER here
Because of our belief about how God created the world IN ORDER, that paves the way for science to exist
Before, the recognition was that God created the world OUTSIDE of Himself
Before, the recognition was that God created a world that was based off of Him being REASON or LOGOS
God is revealed as THE WORD/THE LOGOS
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
There are some schools of thought that say, “God is all powerful which means that nothing happens without God directly willing it.”
We recognize that God is the PRIMARY CAUSE of all that exists
BUT…
God allows SECONDARY CAUSES
So these are things He created
We as human beings, free creatures, can be secondary causes
Another secondary cause is GRAVITY
God has created a world that is ORDERED paves the way for there to be SCIENCE
If someone were simply to affirm and assert God’s OMNIPOTENCE but they didn’t also acknowledge that God is ORDER then they might be tempted to conclude that means the rain falls because God wants it to
It doesn’t fall because of gravity or the water cycle (Fr. Mike was using too many words here so I just simplified it 😉)
So according to some, rain happens because God directly and immediately wills it
EVERYTHING falls under either God’s PERFECT or PERMISSIVE WILL
BUT…
In order to maintain that God’s omnipotence…
To not take away from God’s power…
That might force some people to use their logic to conclude that EVERYTHING that happens is God willing it
EVEN the sun coming up in the morning
Christians escaped this TRAP
IT’S A TRAP!! (Admiral Ackbar - "It's A Trap!" 🤣🤣)
God is REASON
And because God is REASON, He created a world that is ORDERED
It is a REFLECTION of His ORDER
It is a REFLECTION of His REASON
God can create a world OUTSIDE OF HIMSELF according to certain PRINCIPLES
Paragraph 337 says, “God himself created the visible world in all its richness, diversity, and order.”
THAT IS REMARKABLE!!
Paragraph 337 continues, “...permitting us to ‘recognize the inner nature, the value, and the ordering of the whole of creation to the praise of God.’”
At the same time, we can have SCIENCE
God created a world that is a REFLECTION OF HIM
This means it is a reflection of God being ORDER
This means it is a reflection of God being REASON
Does that make sense?
Hopefully it makes sense!
Paragraph 338 says, “Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator.”
YES!!
100%!!
We are going to talk about this in the future…
EVIL IS NOT A THING!!
EVIL IS THE ABSENCE OF A THING!!
EVIL IS THE DISTORTION OR MISUSE OF A GOOD THING!!
So evil doesn’t have existence in the same way that good has existence
KEEP THAT IN MIND!!
God created EVERYTHING out of NOTHING
So everything owes its existence to God our Creator
Also…
BECAUSE our source is God, each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. (Paragraph 339)
THERE IS SOMETHING SO POWERFUL ABOUT THIS!!
This quote is from Gaudium et Spes from The Second Vatican Council
Gaudium et Spes in Paragraph 339 continues, “By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth, and excellence, its own order and laws.”
BECAUSE it comes from the Lord, there is a TRUTH, STABILITY, and EXCELLENCE
Every creature has its own particular goodness and perfection
Paragraph 339 continues, “Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.”
This lays the groundwork for the fact that…
(SQUIRREL!! 😁)
The very first Chapters of Genesis, we read that God placed ALL OF CREATION under the dominion of human beings
He gave us dominion over ALL OF CREATION
Some people take that to mean you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT with Creation
We are more important, therefore do whatever you want with the rest of the world
THE CHURCH DOES NOT SAY THIS!!
Paragraph 339 is VERY CLEAR, “Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.”
There is a difference between being a STEWARD and an OWNER
Stewardship and ownership are VERY VERY DIFFERENT
Ownership means I own my own vehicle so I can drive however I want off-road, while keeping other people’s safety in mind
BUT…
If it is someone else’s car and is being loaned to me
I am merely the STEWARD
I am not the OWNER
I need to take care of it because IT IS NOT MINE
We are reminded that we are the STEWARDS of this world
We are NOT the OWNERS of it
There are creatures in this world that are for our USE
BUT…
They are NOT for our ABUSE
We will talk about that later on when we get to THE MORAL LIFE and how we treat the rest of Creation
The Church has its FOUNDATION for how we treat the rest of Creation by this particular Paragraph 339
If every creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection…
Then we MUST treat those creatures in that way
They come from God and therefore in many ways are for our USE…
BUT…
They are for our WISE USE
THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT
Fr. Mike doesn’t want to beat a dead horse!! (Because that would be ABUSE!! 🤪)
We also recognize that WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER
We will talk about this when it comes to human beings and as Christians
Paragraph 340 says, “God wills the interdependence of creatures.”
It’s very POETIC
“The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient.”
WE NEED EACH OTHER!!
Paragraph 341 says, “The beauty of the universe…”
IT IS SELF-EVIDENT
Sometimes we miss it and don’t notice it
Paragraph 342 says, “The hierarchy of creatures…”
While each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection, there is an affirmation that human beings are the CROWN OF GOD’S CREATION
Paragraph 343 says, “Human beings are the summit of the Creator’s work.”
Because we are made in God’s image and likeness, we are called HIGHER
Not just are we called HIGHER
BUT…
MORE IS EXPECTED OF US!!
We have many gifts that the rest of creation doesn’t have
While the Earth is good…
Rocks are good…
Mountains are good…
Hills are good…
Valleys are good…
Oceans have their own goodness and perfection…
Vegetation is good…(Except for cauliflower 🤢🤮🤪)
IT GROWS!!
IT IS ALIVE!!
IT REPRODUCES!!
Insects and animals are good…
They are not only alive but they can reproduce and can move and build things
There is a goodness and perfection in the SQUIRREL!! (Hmmmm does Fr. Mike somehow know that I often say SQUIRREL!! in these notes? 🤔🤣😉)
There is a goodness and perfection in the HEDGEHOG!!
There is a goodness and a perfection in the ELK!!
BUT…
There is a goodness and a perfection in HUMANITY…
That DOES NOT EXIST in any of those others
That GOODNESS AND PERFECTION is that ultimately we are made in God’s image and likeness
And in particular ways we have an INTELLECT
We have a WILL
Even the most advanced gorilla who can learn sign language doesn’t have the same KIND of intellect or will that human beings do
Or dolphins!!
A dolphin does what a dolphin will do, ALWAYS
A gorilla will do what a gorilla will do, ALWAYS
BUT…
HUMAN BEINGS ARE UNIQUE!!
Because God has given us that GIFT, He has also given us that RESPONSIBILITY
God has also given us that CALL to use our intellect and will
To use the fact that He has made us the SUMMIT OF HIS WORK
To do what?
To be responsible for the rest of Creation
To be responsible for Himself
We will learn tomorrow that we have to CHOOSE to recognize that there is MORE than Earth
There is MORE than just this life
We are called EVEN HIGHER
That’s the all for all of us
To use the gifts we have been given in a WISE way
To use the gifts we have been given VERY VERY WELL
BUT ALSO…
TO GO EVEN HIGHER!!
God has made you and me in His image and likeness
We can choose to go down one road or to go down another road
BUT…
Ultimately God is calling us to WALK AFTER HIM
TO FOLLOW HIM!!
That’s what we need to pray for each other
We are the STEWARDS of our own lives
We are NOT even the OWNERS of our own lives
We are NOT even the OWNERS of our own bodies
WE ARE STEWARDS!!
Because of that we say, “Thank you, God. Help me to walk the right way.”
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
Scripture References & Reflections
- compiled by Andrew Adamany
Bible Translation - RSVCE
CCC 337 "God himself created the visible world in all its richness, diversity and order. Scripture presents the work of the Creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine "work", concluded by the "rest" of the seventh day. On the subject of creation, the sacred text teaches the truths revealed by God for our salvation, permitting us to "recognize the inner nature, the value and the ordering of the whole of creation to the praise of God."
Genesis 1:31–2:3
"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation."
CCC 338 "Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. The world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time begun."
Wisdom of Solomon 1:14
"For he created all things that they might exist,
and the generative forces of the world are wholesome"
CCC 339 "Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the "six days" it is said: "And God saw that it was good." "By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws." Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment."
Wisdom of Solomon 11:24–26
"For thou lovest all things that exist,
and hast loathing for none of the things which thou hast made,
for thou wouldst not have made anything if thou hadst hated it.
How would anything have endured if thou hadst not willed it?
Or how would anything not called forth by thee have been preserved?
Thou sparest all things, for they are thine, O Lord who lovest the living."
CCC 342 "The hierarchy of creatures is expressed by the order of the "six days", from the less perfect to the more perfect. God loves all his creatures and takes care of each one, even the sparrow. Nevertheless, Jesus said: "You are of more value than many sparrows", or again: "Of how much more value is a man than a sheep!"
Psalm 145:9
"The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made."
Luke 12:4–7
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows."
Matthew 12:9–12
"And he went on from there, and entered their synagogue. And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep!"
CCC 343 "Man is the summit of the Creator's work, as the inspired account expresses by clearly distinguishing the creation of man from that of the other creatures."
Genesis 1:26–30
"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so."
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