My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The first article of the Apostle’s Creed is: I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth. There are forty “in brief” statements in The Catechism of the Catholic Church which treat this article of our saving faith. What follows is a reflection on article 353.
Creation is an expression of the Divine Will. Creation manifests God’s good will toward all that exists, in that God has shared existence, being, with us and all that is.
Not only has God created the heavens and the Earth, the stars and the seas but living things too. The living beings are called ‘creatures.’ God shows great creativity not only in those living beings still around (even micro-biotic beings) but also those which are found in the geological fossil record. That humming birds have hearts strong enough to endure the beatings of their wings so rapidly and that giraffes have necks long enough to reach their leafy diets show forth some of the greatness of God who has created all this and more.
The barking of dogs and the meowing of cats and the biting of alligators are all proper and good. That is how God made them.
National Geographic has lush photographs depicting the interdependence of various creatures. Tiny birds riding on the backs of huge hippopotamuses come to mind. The ‘food chain’ likewise reminds us of the interdependence of God’s creatures.
While some in our day may happily protest that there is a Creator as well as the order which exists among creatures, our Christian faith affirms both. God has established an order not only of all the animals for us, but us for God.
The human race is unique among the creatures created by God in several ways, not least of which is the Incarnation. God did not become a monkey or a fish or even a cow, but a man among men, Christ Jesus Our Lord. As human beings, our ability to know and love – powers of the human rational soul which is a spiritual element in us, we exist in the image of God.
All of this, God’s creation of creatures, the goodness of the creatures, the interdependence of the creatures, the order of the creatures and the peak of the creatures give gloria ad extra to God. God is glorified in His works externally. While God is present to His creation, creatures included, His glory is not thereby exhausted by His creation. Even ‘before’ creation God is glorified and God will be glorified even for all eternity, not only by the new heavens and the new earth (cf. Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13), but even by His creatures, ourselves included.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr