Truth of the Spirit helps us to find God by searching in nature. Quotes from Pope Francis’ Laudato si, St. Bonaventure, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Father Joseph McSorley and personal revelation from the Lord gives clarity to the search. Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth, part of the Tenets of Truth series, is hosted by Patti Brunner. Please continue reading for script, audio player and video link.
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If “seeing is believing” why do we not all believe the exact same thing? A quick answer to that question is that “there is more to see than meets the eye”. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. The profession of faith takes them up when it confesses that God the Father almighty is “Creator of heaven and earth” (Apostles’ Creed), “of all that is, seen and unseen” (Nicene Creed). Aha! As the unseen is revealed we are challenged by what we thought we saw. As we look back to history we easily see those who were challenged by the truth that the earth is round when their minds had explained the earth was flat. In the revelation of the existence of God nature gives us a clue to truth. It helps us as we search for the Creator of heaven and earth.
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I am your host, Patti Brunner. Our episode today is “Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth.” It is part of our series on the Tenets of Truth. In discussing the existence of God one cannot but turn toward creation as proof.
The intricacies of the human body, the vastness of the universe revealed by ever improving telescopes into space, and the interdependence of the environment reveals the superior element of Our Creator. As we follow the science, technology reveals the “seen” that had been “unseen” in creation.
Catholics, who have attended Cursillo, often gather together to share testimonies of when they have been most aware of God’s presence. In the past I had difficulty in relating to those who said, “I saw a flower” and thus recognized the presence of God with them. That is not where I find the intimacy of God. I find Him more often in the “unseen”. I have also been approached by those who had prayed for the intercession of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and would speak of the appearance of roses, even on greeting cards, to prove God’s awareness of St. Therese’s prayers and her promise to send a rose. Personally, a paper rose seems a bit of a stretch, yet it brings us into the contemplation of the “unseen”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 286 reminds us, “Human intelligence is surely already capable of finding a response to the question of origins. The existence of God the Creator can be known with certainty through his works, by the light of human reason, 122 even if this knowledge is often obscured and disfigured by error. This is why faith comes to confirm and enlighten reason in the correct understanding of this truth: “By faith we understand that the world was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.” 123
Who can look out over a mountain vista sunrise or a magnificent ocean sunset and not think of the glory of God? I live in Arkansas which is called “The Natural State” because of its great areas of mountains, rivers, forests, springs, and other natural beauty. Even so, I have a caution in my heart toward “tree-huggers” who seem to worship nature and those who sacrifice the needs of humans for needs of ecology; surely we cannot destroy man to save the pristineness of the earth. I admit I cringe a little when I read the canticle by St. Francis of Assisi, “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.” I do not like the term “Mother Earth” nor “Mother Nature”. I prefer “Father God”.
Since I had a small check in my spirit about exploring the topic, I checked with a trusted friend, Deacon Ronnie Hoyt, and he shared that, except for the Eucharist, he is closest to God when surrounded by nature. He thought it was worthy of prayerful consideration. That being said, as I explored the aspect of God, Creator of the seen and unseen, I have come upon the writing of St. Bonaventure quoted by Pope Francis in his encyclical “Laudato si”. In Chapter 7[i] the Pope shares information about the “Trinity and the Relationship between Creatures”.
In Laudato si, Pope Francis wrote,
“238. The Father is the ultimate source of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all that exists. The Son, his reflection, through whom all things were created, united himself to this earth when he was formed in the womb of Mary. The Spirit, infinite bond of love, is intimately present at the very heart of the universe, inspiring and bringing new pathways. The world was created by the three Persons acting as a single divine principle, but each one of them performed this common work in accordance with his own personal property. Consequently, “when we contemplate with wonder the universe in all its grandeur and beauty, we must praise the whole Trinity”.[169]
“239. For Christians, believing in one God who is Trinitarian communion suggests that the Trinity has left its mark on all creation. Saint Bonaventure went so far as to say that human beings, before sin, were able to see how each creature “testifies that God is three”. The reflection of the Trinity was there to be recognized in nature “when that book was open to man and our eyes had not yet become darkened”.[170] The Franciscan saint teaches us that each creature bears in itself a specifically Trinitarian structure, so real that it could be readily contemplated if only the human gaze were not so partial, dark and fragile. In this way, he points out to us the challenge of trying to read reality in a Trinitarian key.
“240. The divine Persons are subsistent relations, and the world, created according to the divine model, is a web of relationships. Creatures tend towards God, and in turn it is proper to every living being to tend towards other things, so that throughout the universe we can find any number of constant and secretly interwoven relationships.[171] This leads us not only to marvel at the manifold connections existing among creatures, but also to discover a key to our own fulfilment. The human person grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures. In this way, they make their own that Trinitarian dynamism which God imprinted in them when they were created. Everything is interconnected, and this invites us to develop a spirituality of that global solidarity which flows from the mystery of the Trinity.”
This quote of Pope Francis has given me a new understanding of the pope’s attitudes. This quote of St. Bonaventure has given me a source for meditation on God the Creator. As I sat before the Lord in our adoration chapel, I considered the natural materials around me. The oak pew, how did the wood of an oak tree show me the Trinity? Could it be the sturdiness and strength of the Father? Could the life source of the sap that drew the water and nutrients throughout the tree reflect the life giving water of Baptism and the Holy Spirit? Could the leaves that drew in carbon dioxide and exude life giving oxygen reflect the redeemer Jesus Christ who took our sin and replaced it with grace? Interesting thought! I then noticed the limestone wall beside me. A rock? Could an inanimate rock reflect the Trinity? I thought of the eons of time that formed the limestone rock and thought of the timelessness of God the Father. I remembered that Jesus is called the cornerstone and realized that the rock is a firm foundation that is built upon. But the Holy Spirit? How can a rock reflect the Holy Spirit?
Then my eye caught a particular stone that as it was carved had a singular beauty, and it came to me. I thought of the translucent beauty of the Creator’s hand, stored for man to stumble upon as he struck the rock in such a manner to expose what was there all along, like Michelangelo discovering David within a block of marble and I thought of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that awaits us to discover it in nature.
Catechism Paragraph 293 affirms “Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: “The world was made for the glory of God.” 134 St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things “not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it”, 135 for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: “Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand.” 136 …”
Catechism Paragraph 294 tells us, “The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. …”
Catechism Paragraph 295 “We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom. 141 It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God’s free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness: “For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” 142
I want to share some words the Lord spoke to me about creation: “My Child, throughout the universe there are creations that give me glory. I choose to be in your heart.” The Lord said,“There is an imprint upon you. You are made in the image of God. Discovery of what that means is a lifelong adventure that is not completed on earth but revelation of who I Am continues for all eternity thus so does your understanding of your own image.”
I’ll share another word from the Lord about Creation at the end of this episode.
Catechism Paragraph 299 says, “Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: “You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.” 151 The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the “image of the invisible God”, is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the “image of God” and called to a personal relationship with God. 152 Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. 153 Because creation comes forth from God’s goodness, it shares in that goodness – “And God saw that it was good. . . very good” 154– for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world. 155
Catechism Paragraph 287 teaches, “The truth about creation is so important for all of human life that God in his tenderness wanted to reveal to his People everything that is salutary to know on the subject. Beyond the natural knowledge that every man can have of the Creator, 124 God progressively revealed to Israel the mystery of creation. He who chose the patriarchs, who brought Israel out of Egypt, and who by choosing Israel created and formed it, this same God reveals himself as the One to whom belong all the peoples of the earth, and the whole earth itself; he is the One who alone “made heaven and earth”.” 125
I found an interesting meditation by Father Joseph McSorley, C.S.P. in his book “The Sacrament of Duty”[ii] called “Soul Blindness” first published around 1910. I’ll give you a heads up right now that this meditation is deep. I hope you find it as spiritually intriguing as I have as we continue our journey of Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty!
He wrote, “Probably, we are perceiving but half of what God gave us power to see, and realizing only a trivial portion of what He wished us to know. If the eye was made for seeing and the mind for understanding, then certain faculties must have atrophied in the case of the many who go through life so unfamiliar with the beauty and truth and goodness which God created in order to lead men nearer to Himself.”
“Many of us drift along the current, unconscious of the scenes we pass, that at least some measure of soul-blindness may be anticipated in almost every one. Few, if any, use senses, mind and will in the way and to the extent intended by the Divine Artificer Who, creating the human soul to know and to love Himself, gave it a body and an earthly life as helps in the fulfillment of this supreme commission. The world around us was made, be it remembered, to display the glory of God. In the shining of the stars He showed forth the light of His countenance, and He hinted at the ardor of His love through the blazing noonday sun. Far out in the dark abyss of endless space the testimonies of His omnipotence were flung, and His thought realized itself in the ordered movement of the myriad spheres. Light and color, harmony and form issued [forth] from Him as rumors and shadowings of things beyond man’s power to understand. In morning’s sweet approach and evening’s solemn close, in the glad return of springtime and the saddening change of autumn, men have learned something about their Maker. The radiant woods of October, the livelier plumaged birds of May, and the giant roses of June, each catch and reflect a single ray of His surpassing beauty. “Flock and herd and human face divine,” clothed with mystery since first life stirred upon the face of the deep, in all the intervening ages have discoursed marvelously of God to those who care to listen.”
Father Joseph McSorley continued, “Let us confess it; soul-blindness hangs over us like an impenetrable cloud. And, because we are blind, much of the time we are unthinking and unloving too – dull, cold creatures with the flame of life trimmed low and the waters ever at an ebb. A walk through the fields with a botanist would perhaps arouse any one of us to a painful consciousness of limitation and ignorance. He sees so many things where we see so few; and in each of them he finds so much more than we could find. Myrtle and honeysuckle whisper shy confidences to him in a tongue unintelligible to us; sweet fragrance is breathed into his very soul and wafts him away to the land of dreams and poetry, where the flowers unfold life-histories before him like chapters from a creation-old romance. Meanwhile we ordinary mortals feel strangely awkward at the proximity of the new world thus suddenly brought to mind; and we begin vainly to lament that our eyes have been so poorly trained and that our soul is so helpless to see or to praise these wonderful works of God.”
Father Joseph McSorley wrote, “In another way, the same truth comes home again, when we stand beside the astronomer as his telescope sweeps the jeweled night, revealing a whole universe of beauty and mystery unfamiliar to us; and again, when for the first time we look at the myriad life in the water-drop mounted beneath the biologist’s magic lens. Over and over, we are borne down by the sense of our narrowness – being irresistibly impelled to contrast our own apathy with the keen delight of the artist before a line of paintings, of the violinist listening to the symphony, of the poet as he threads the forest or stands at the water’s edge, lifted up in spirit by the amber beauty of the evening sky.”
Father Joseph McSorley says, “At the beginning of spiritual growth, we cannot measure the extent of our possibilities any more than the pianist could during the scale-practicing period of development; yet we may very reasonably believe that our minds are going to prove equal to the task of performing what they were originally destined for and are now invited to win. Though not like Adam, in possession of all the powers and privileges of integral humanity, still we are essentially sound and nothing needed for the attainment of spiritual excellence will be wanting to us. But apart from the question of acquiring an adequate grasp upon the supreme realities, at least some sort of attention to the invisible world is as indispensable to spiritual fullness of stature as food is to bodily health. Life, in whatever form, must always be nourishing and renewing itself. When we have trained our senses to observe and our minds to interpret the thousand gleaming fragments that reflect God into our lives so frequently, then only shall we be capable of keeping the divine fires aglow within us. … Thus we shall come to employ an entirely new scale of values, to interpret appearances as sensual men can never interpret them, to know the world to some extent as God knows it; and, at least in part, we shall finally win back man’s primeval power, and set creation right again by putting it beneath the feet of Him who hath restored it all.”
In a future episode, we will explore more of the meditation on Soul Blindness by Father Joseph McSorley.
Catechism Paragraph 320 reminds us, so we do not forget, “God created the universe and keeps it in existence by his Word, the Son “upholding the universe by his word of power” (Hebrew 1:3), and by his Creator Spirit, the giver of life.”
We will close with a word the Lord shared with me a couple of years ago: 7/28/2020 The Lord told me,“As you learned through Cursillo, recognizing my Presence with regularity brings joy to mind—even when I Am recognized in troubling conditions. As different people shared their experiences you saw the uniqueness of the relationship each have with Me. Depth or shallowness can be according to the plowing and preparation of the field, but each recognition of my Presence is real, whether it is like a rock skimming across the water or a bucket raised from a deep well. Notice, too, how the interplay of nature and human nature brings forth the opportunity to see my face.
“The earth has been placed in motion. It turns of itself each daily cycle but also travels the elliptical path to provide seasons each year. And what you may not recognize is its path as the sun follows its own trajectory in the universe which has its course that was set at the beginning of its creation.” The Lord said, “So, too, dear children, I have formed you from the dust of the earth and each particle of your body is in motion from life to death. Consider this greatness of creation for a moment.
“But you are much more than particles of matter. Something ever greater! You have been created in the image of God. You have a soul that shall transcend time and space.
“It is your soul and your cognitive state of mind that allows you to connect the various ‘happenings’ with my plan for you.
“What are you doing this very moment? Do you think it is ‘happen stance’ that has brought you to this moment to hear and contemplate the truth and beauty of the Presence of God in your moment, this moment?”
The Lord continued, “As a mother watches over the child in her care, I watch over you. As a father works and plans the future well-being of his family, my plans for you are not for woe but for everlasting joy in my kingdom. When the kingdom on earth is the same as it is in heaven, my joy fills your heart. When you turn to me in your struggles I am like the mother who bandages your wounds and holds you in her arms until everything seems alright and your peace is restored. But the ‘holy coincidences’ are to remind you I Am with you even when there are no struggles that are pressing against your heart causing injury. ‘Holy Coincidences’ also come your way to affirm you. They remind you of my promises. They help you to see with clarity that you are on a good path. When they give a small reprieve during difficult or stressful times, accept and recognize them and recognize that the order of the universe is still on its proper course and the ‘falling stars’ are distant and cannot keep you from completing your journey and eternal life.”
And in this, we find the Creator of Heaven and Earth!
You have been listening to Truth of the Spirit and Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth, part of our Tenets of Truth series. I am your host, Patti Brunner. We invite you to check out our free YouTube channel to find other Tenets of Truth from the Lord in various playlists including the Basics of Faith series. You can also access them and this episode at PatriarchMinistries.com/216. And then come back for more. With the Holy Spirit, there’s always more! Amen.
[i] Laudato si. By Pope Francis. June 2015. Chapter VII. THE TRINITY AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CREATURES
[ii] The Sacrament of Duty, by Father Joseph McSorley, C.S.P. The version used was the 3rd edition published by The Paulist Press in New York, New York in 1917. It has the Nihil obstat of Bishop Thomas Joseph Shahan, Censor Deputatus, and the Imprimatur of Cardinal John Murphy Farley, Archdiocese of New York, New York.
