Creation is one powerful way God speaks to us. In 1987, my book Voices: Messages in Gospel Symbols came out the same time as my book Leading Students into Scripture. (The publisher said I made history because it was the first time they published two books by the same author in the same publishing season.) Because of our current focus on the environment and Pope Francis’s Laudato si’ , the book Voices is even more relevant today. I republished it myself as Voices: God Speaking in Creation in 2017.

Creation’s Messages in Literature

We pray in Psalm 19:

The heavens declare the glory of God,

The vault of heaven proclaims his handiwork . . . .

No utterance at all, no speech,

No sound that anyone can hear;

yet their voice goes out through all the world.

And author Nikos Kazantzakis wrote:

I said to the almond tree

“Sister speak to me of God.”

And the almond tree blossomed.

Creation in My Slice of the World

A man in our ND Village often walks around outside visiting the Mary shrine, our cemetery, and large statue of Mary. For hours he can sit on one of the benches, soaking in the landscape. His explanation: “The property is so beautiful, I want to take advantage of it.” He is right. Our land here in the country is a kind of Paradise. I combed through photos I have of nature at our Province Center, and I share them with you now.

• What facets of creation near you do you cherish?

• When do you take time to drink in the marvels of nature and listen to what they say?

Hymn about Creation and the Creator

For your enjoyment and inspiration, here is a jazzy hymn with a potent message: