"Glance at the sun. See the moon and the
stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s
greenings. Now think. What delight God gives to humanity with all
these things. All nature is at the
disposal of humankind. We are to work
with it. For without, we cannot
survive.” These words were written by
Hildegarde of Bingen, a German Benedictine nun who was named as a Doctor of the
Church by Pope Benedict XVI. Like
Hildegarde, the author of the book of Wisdom saw God in creation. He did not make the marvels he saw in
creation an idol, for doing so would be foolish and ignorant according to
him. So many of the faithful see God in
the beauty and wonder of nature, and this serves to strengthen and confirm our
faith in God.
Christians are called to serve the Lord in different ways, to see him in the
different facets of the world. One of
the saints we celebrate this week is St Hugh of Lincoln. Hugh was
a monk in a Carthusian monastery in France in the 12th century. The Carthusians are one of the monastic
orders that observe a strict vow of silence.
At the age of 40, he was asked to open a Carthusian monastery in
England. He earned a great deal of
respect from the people when he made sure that the poor that were displaced by
the building of the monastery were justly compensated for their land. He later
was appointed Bishop of Lincoln in England, where he showed a special love for
the sick, the poor, and the lepers of his diocese. He also personally shielded a group of Jews
from an angry mob. We see
God in creation, and we reflect God’s love and mercy in how we treat God’s creation
and our brothers and sisters in the reality that is present in our lives. Thank
you Lord for the greatness and beauty of your creation, for the way we see your
majesty in your creation in the world.
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