1.2 Commitment
STAGE 1: Facing Reality
AWE AND WONDER
BEHOLDING HARMONY
COMMITMENT
Aim: To affirm our commitment to care for creation.
Reading
Wisdom’s power through creation (LEW 33-34):
“This mysterious game (the perfect precision of creation) of divine Wisdom is clearly seen in the great variety of all he created. Apart from considering the different species of angels whose number is well-nigh infinite, and the varied brightness of the stars and the different temperaments of people, we are filled with wonderment at the changes we see in the seasons and the weather, at the variety of instincts in animals, at the different species of plants, at the diversified beauty of the flowers and the different tastes of the fruits. ‘Let the person who is wise understand these things’ (Hos 14:9; cf. Jer 9:12; Ps. 106: 43). Who is the one to whom eternal Wisdom has communicated her wisdom? That person alone will understand these mysteries of nature”.
“Eternal Wisdom has revealed these things to the saints, as we learn from their biographies. At times they were so astonished at the beauty, the harmony and the order that God has put into the smallest things, such as a bee, an ant, an ear of corn, a flower, a worm, that they were carried away in rapture and ecstasy”.
Comment
Reflecting on the experience of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis writes: “Just as it happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever Francis would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them ‘to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason’. His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister or brother united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple St. Bonaventure tells us that, ‘from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of «brother» or «sister»’. Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behaviour”.
“If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of St. Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled”.
“What is more, St. Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. […] For this reason, he asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise” (LS 11-12).
Personal Reflection and Sharing
What is my “wise” and “concrete” way of communing with and caring for creation?
[1-2] CALL RESPONSE COMMITMENT PRAYER