Word to the Wise
Friday, November 11, 2011 - Friday in the 32th Week in Ordinary Time
[Wis 13:1-9 and Luke 17:26-37]All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan....
Today's first scripture from Wisdom is startling in its timelessness. It is worth reading from start to finish. Two groups of non-believers are mentioned. The first group are those who simply do not see God's handiwork in creation but rather make creation their God. They are like the ones whom St. Paul condemns in Romans 1:20-23! The second group is held to be in lesser blame but I find their situation fascinating. They are actively seeking God in creation but their search is distracted by the beauty of what they see: For they search busily among his works, but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair. But again, not even these are pardonable for if they so far succeeded in knowledge that they could speculate about the world, how did they not more quickly find its Lord?" I am reminded by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon coast that I visit each Summer. I certainly do not feel called to worship the ocean, but I can see how someone might be hypnotized by the crashing waves and the sheer beauty of the surrounding scenery and be caught up in the science of it all without going further to the Creator of it all! This is a very modern problem!
Psalm 19 captures the positive statement of this: The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims his builder's craft. (NAB). A heart that is both open and seeking will perceive God in creation. It is all the more appalling then when, for commercial gain, we despoil it and destroy it. Have we no shame? AMEN