The Gift of Creation

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:4-9

Earlier this year, I began The Ignatian Journey with an online community led by some dear friends, so that I could  grow in my encounters with the unconditional, creative, and inviting love of God.

As part of this study, I read some of Gerald Fagin’s book, Putting on the Heart of Christ. In it, he says that Ignatius received a vision of God and creation that changed the way he looked at everything. He was 66 years old overlooking a river in Spain, and he saw the world coming down and returning from God in two great acts: creation and Incarnation. I think many of us would attest to the gift of the Incarnation, but do we realize the gift of creation?

He writes, “We lose sight of the giftedness of creation because it is always with us. It is not experienced as a gift, but as a simple fact.”

One morning, I went out the back door for my early morning walk, and there on our rock wall next to our driveway was a vine that was populated with purple blooms about the size of a quarter. It literally took my breath away. I hadn’t noticed them before – perhaps they had just blossomed or perhaps I am always in a hurry?  I experienced it as a gift from the Creator that day.

What if we began to see the sunrise each day as a gift from the hands of a loving God? What if we slowed and noticed some of the details of the sky, the trees, the blossoms, the colors, and the textures and all of creation that surrounds us?

Every piece of creation is showing off God’s love towards us.

For Reflection

• What do you notice in creation today?

• What has taken your breath away in creation?

Prayer
Dear Creator of all Creation,

Slow me down. Let me see your world in three dimensions today. Let me experience and receive it as a gift of your love for me. AMEN