Creation

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Creation Awaits

Groaning    Labor Pains

Set Free   Adoption

God's Watercourses Are Filled

Revelation

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Psalm 65: 10

God's watercourses are filled.

Reflection

Sitting by the river after the rain has stopped.

Admiring the flow of the water.

Becoming one with the steady flow.

Feeling its power.

Enjoying its beauty.

This is a scene many of us have experienced. We take time to pause from our daily activities and to rejoice in the beauty and power of creation. All of creation awaits our contemplation and admiration of the handiwork of God.

We start to realize all that has been given to us. We have no words immediately to describe the overflowing waters.

We know that creation is a gift that we are called to treasure and preserve. It is fragile and can be negatively affected by our actions. We have seen what happens when we pollute our soil, water, and air. We know that what we do on a daily basis can harm all of creation and impact the health and welfare of our sisters and brothers in the family of God. 

St. Paul speaks of creation as "groaning". We have all heard those groans and seen the results of our carelessness too clearly. The images of huge mounds of plastic being washed up on the shores of remote islands. We recoil when we see clouds of smoke covering our cities.

Labor pains can lead to the gift of new life. As we take responsibility for our actions that have led to ecological disasters, the pain and suffering of creation can make us aware of what we need to do to improve the quality of life for all aspects of creation.

We want to set creation free from the waste and pollution that we have generated. We need what Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si calls an "ecological conversion". We are the adopted daughters and sons of God. We have been given the freedom to enjoy the gift of creation. 

 Along with the gift has come the responsibility to enjoy that gift and to reverence it. We know that God's watercourses are full of so much bounty and joys for all of us. As we cherish and nurture the waters, the woods, the soil, and the air, we do our part to fill the watercourses with beauty.

God has revealed to all of us the path to free creation from the oppression of exploitation for short term profit at the risk of long term damage. It is the path of caring and respect. 

The creation God has blessed us with is awesome beyond words. We marvel at those overflowing watercourses, colorful flowers, majestic mountains, glowing stars, and all that we see each day.

It is our time now to cherish the blessing in every way we can.

Enjoy and respect the GIFT!!!

1. When is the last time you admired the beauty of creation?

2. Do you see creation as God's gift to you?

3. What is the pollution that upsets you the most?

4. Have you undergone an "ecological conversion" as Pope Francis called for?

5. What do you feel as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John McNamara)