A Reflection for Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
What is man that you should be mindful of him,
or the son of man that you should care for him?
You can find today’s readings here.
More often than not, while witnessing an especially gorgeous sunset, a voice in my head will say Diosito se inspiró hoy––God was inspired today––flooding the sky with streaks of purple and speckles of pink. The orange hues are always my favorite, and it is not an exaggeration when I say a beautiful sunset will always stop me in my tracks and force a smile out of me. Today’s Scripture reminded me that his beautiful creations surround us everyday.
The first reading describes the second half of the story of creation. Genesis 1:20 begins describing the fifth day, in which God created all kinds of sea creatures and winged animals to decorate the waters and skies. As he continues, sequentially creating land animals and human beings, I became increasingly aware of how intentional and beautiful all of God’s creations are.
In everyday life, the crisp air and the shining sun can be taken for granted––and even deemed an annoyance by grumpy early morning commuters. And yet they were both created to cool our earth and warm our bodies. Land critters can be pesky and even scary at times, yet they are vital to the stability of our ecosystem. The list goes on and on.
Our lives are full of God’s beautiful creations. At every twist and turn we walk by men and women that are created in God’s vision, and we are called to love all of these our brothers and sisters. The everyday blessings that populate our lives, too, are the work of God’s “fingers,” as the psalm reminds us.
The voice in my head as I look at a beautiful sunset is my mother’s. Many a sunset has been gazed at through the windshield of her black car, and every time she’s voiced her awe of God’s beautiful creation, she has taught me to appreciate God’s presence in every element of our lives. May beautiful sunsets overfill you with gratitude, too, and remind you of God’s endless love and beauty, as they have for me.
