FRIDAY, THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Wis 13: 1-9 Ps 19: 2-5 Lk 17: 26-37
BEAUTY – A SIGNPOST, NOT A DESTINATION
The Book of Wisdom today delivers a sharp and thought provoking reflection. It challenges a mindset that is still common today. It admires the beauty and power of nature, yet failing to recognize the Creator behind it. The author speaks of people who are fascinated by the elements like fire, wind, stars, the sea, the sun and the moon. These are majestic. They stir awe in us. But the reading makes a clear point: if we can admire the greatness of creation, how can we not go further and seek the One who made it? It’s not a condemnation of science or appreciation of the natural world. On the contrary, the text affirms that creation is good, powerful and beautiful. The problem lies in stopping there and treating creation as the ultimate, rather than a sign pointing beyond itself.
This reflection speaks directly to modern sensibilities. Many today find wonder in the universe, in energy, in natural forces, even in human potential, but they stop short of naming or acknowledging God. It is a subtle form of idolatry: offering worship to what is created, instead of the Creator. The reading also adds a note of mercy. These people, it says, are not completely ignorant. They search. They desire truth. But their search is incomplete. They fail to take the final step: to look beyond appearances, to recognize the hand of God at work in all things. This message is a call to go deeper. It reminds us not to settle for what is visible. Creation is not an end, it is a beginning. It reveals beauty, order, and design. But most importantly, it reveals a Person: God, the source of all.
So, the question for us is: do we allow creation to lead us to the Creator? Do we look beyond the visible, into the eternal? Or have we grown used to beauty without wonder, and wonder without worship? The reading calls us back to clarity: all that is great and beautiful in this world is a sign, not a substitute. Our task is not just to admire creation, but to let it draw us into deeper knowledge, gratitude, and awe of God.
Response: The heavens declare the glory of God.
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