Weekly Reflections for October 23, 2022

“God in Nature”

Have you ever created something?  Maybe a drawing, or a poem, or a craft, or a hand-made greeting card?  If so, you know the feeling of putting something of yourself into that creation.  You know the feeling of wanting to bring other people joy when you share your creation with them. 

As Catholic Christians, we believe that God created everything in the natural world.  The sun and the moon and the stars; the earth and the grass and the flowers; the insects and the animals and each individual person.  And like us, God puts something of himself into each thing that he creates. So, one way to get to know God better is to contemplate and experience his creation.

When we look into the sky and consider the vastness of the universe, we can get an idea of the enormity of God.  When we observe the variety and beauty of the flowers, we can get an idea of the creative genius of God.  When we experience the force of a thunderstorm, we can get an idea of the power that God possesses.  When we watch squirrels scampering up and down trees, we can get an idea of the joy and playfulness of God’s nature.  When we think about the balance of nature and how each living thing plays a part in the continuing existence of other living things, we can get an idea of how God’s knowledge and wisdom far surpass our own.

As we move through the season of Autumn, we are provided with an awesome opportunity to experience and contemplate our amazing, loving God in nature.  Let us make an effort to spend a few minutes outdoors this week, just soaking in the beauty around us and allowing it to reveal to us the nature of the God who made it all.