GOD'S POWER IN CREATING

1 The pride of the heavenly heights is the clear firmament, the appearance of heaven in a spectacle of glory. 2 The sun, when it appears, making proclamation as it goes forth, is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High. 3 At noon it parches the land; and who can withstand its burning heat? 4 A man tending* a furnace works in burning heat, but the sun burns the mountains three times as much; it breathes out fiery vapors, and with bright beams it blinds the eyes. 5 Great is the Lord who made it; and at his command it hastens on its course. 6 He made the moon also, to serve in its season* to make the times and to be an everlasting sign. 7 From the moon comes the sign for feast days, a light that wanes when it has reached the full. 8 The month is named for the moon, increasing marvelously in its phases, an instrument of the hosts on high shining forth in the firmament of heaven. 9 The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven, a gleaming array in the heights of the Lord. 10 At the command of the Holy One they stand as ordered, they never relax in their watches. 11 Look upon the rainbow, and praise him who made it, exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. 12 It encircles the heaven with its glorious arc; the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. 13 By his command he sends the driving snow and speeds the lightnings of his judgment. 14 Therefore the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly forth like birds. 15 In his majesty he amasses the clouds, and the hailstones are broken in pieces. 16 At his appearing the mountains are shaken; at his will the south wind blows. 17 The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth; so do the tempest from the north and the whirlwind. He scatters the snow like birds flying down, and its descent is like locusts alighting. 18 The eye marvels at the beauty of its whiteness, and the mind is amazed at its falling. 19 He pours the hoarfrost upon the earth like salt, and when it freezes, it becomes pointed thorns. 20 The cold north wind blows, and ice freezes over the water; it rests upon every pool of water, and the water puts it on like a breastplate. 21 He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness, and withers the tender grass like fire. 22 A mist quickly heals all things; when the dew appears, it refreshes from the heat. 23 By his counsel he stilled the great deep and planted islands in it. 24 Those who sail the sea tell of its dangers, and we marvel at what we hear. 25 for in it are strange and marvelous works, all kinds of living things, and huge creatures of the sea. 26 Because of him his messenger finds the way, and by his word all things hold together. 27 Though we speak much we cannot reach the end, and the sum of our words is: "He is the all." 28 Where shall we find strength to praise him? For he is greater than all his works. 29 Terrible is the Lord and very great, and marvelous is his power. 30 When you praise the Lord, exalt him as much as you can; for he will surpass even that. When you exalt him, put forth all your strength, and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough. 31 Who has seen him and can describe him? Or who can extol him as he is? 32 Many things greater than these lie hidden, for we have seen but few of his works. 33 For the Lord has made all things, and to the godly he has granted wisdom.

(Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 43)

THE WORD CREATES A DIVINE HARMONY IN CREATION

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made. In these words John the theologian teaches that nothing exists or remains in being except in and through the Word.

Think of a musician tuning his lyre. By his skill he adjusts high notes to low and intermediate notes to the rest, and produces a series of harmonies. So too the wisdom of God holds the world like a lyre and joins things in the air to those on earth, and things in heaven to those in the air, and brings each part into harmony with the whole. By his decree and will he regulates them all to produce the beauty and harmony of a single, well-ordered universe. While remaining unchanged with his Father, he moves all creation by his unchanging nature, according to the Father’s will. To everything he gives existence and life in accordance with its nature, and so creates a wonderful and truly divine harmony.

To illustrate this profound mystery, let us take the example of a choir of many singers. A choir is composed of a variety of men, women and children, of both old and young. Under the direction of one conductor, each sings in the way that is natural for him: men with men’s voices, boys with boys’ voices, old people with old voices, young people with young voices. Yet all of them produce a single harmony. Or consider the example of our soul. It moves our senses according to their several functions so that in the presence of a single object they all act simultaneously: the eye sees, the ear hears, the hand touches, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, and often the other parts of the body act as well as, for example, the feet may walk.

Although this is only a poor comparison, it gives some idea of how the whole universe is governed. The Word of God has but to give a gesture of command and everything falls into place; each creature performs its own proper function, and all together constitute one single harmonious order.

--St Athanasius, Discourse Against the Pagans

18 Existimo enim quod non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam,
quae revelanda est in nobis.
19 Nam exspectatio creaturae revelationem filiorum Dei exspectat;
20 vanitati enim creatura subiecta est, non volens sed propter eum, qui subiecit, in spem,
21 quia et ipsa creatura liberabitur a servitute corruptionis in libertatem gloriae filiorum Dei.
22 Scimus enim quod omnis creatura congemiscit et comparturit usque adhuc;
23 non solum autem, sed et nos ipsi primitias Spiritus habentes,
et ipsi intra nos gemimus adoptionem filiorum exspectantes, redemptionem corporis nostri.
24 Spe enim salvi facti sumus;
spes autem, quae videtur, non est spes;
nam, quod videt, quis sperat?
25 Si autem, quod non videmus, speramus, per patientiam exspectamus.

18* I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
19* For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God;
20* for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will
but by the will of him who subjected it in hope;
21* because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay
and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22* We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now;
23* and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24* For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

(Romans 5:18-20)

16 Tuus est dies, et tua est nox,
tu fabricatus es luminaria et solem.
17 Tu statuisti omnes terminos terrae,
aestatem et hiemem, tu plasmasti ea.

16 Thine is the day, thine also the night;
thou hast established the luminaries and the sun.
17 Thou hast fixed all the bounds of the earth;
thou hast made summer and winter.

(Psalm 74:16-17)

1 Deus creavit de terra hominem
et secundum imaginem suam fecit illum;
2 et iterum convertit illum in ipsam
et secundum se vestivit illum virtute.
3 Numerum dierum et tempus dedit illi
et dedit illi potestatem eorum, quae sunt super terram.
4 Posuit timorem illius super omnem carnem,
ut dominaretur bestiarum et volatilium.
5 Creavit illis consilium et linguam et oculos et aures
et cor dedit illis excogitandi
et disciplina intellectus replevit illos.
6 Creavit illis scientiam spiritus,
sensu implevit cor illorum
et mala et bona ostendit illis.
7 Posuit timorem suum super corda illorum
ostendens illis magnalia operum suorum
8 et dedit illis gloriari in mirabilibus illius,
ut nomen sanctificationis collaudent
et magnalia enarrent operum eius.
9 Addidit illis disciplinam
et legem vitae hereditavit illos.
10 Testamentum aeternum constituit cum illis
et iustitiam et iudicia sua ostendit illis.
11 Et magnalia honoris eius vidit oculus illorum,
et honorem vocis eius audierunt aures illorum...

1 The Lord created man out of earth,
and turned him back to it again.
2 He gave to men* few days, a limited time,
but granted them authority over the things upon the earth. *
3 He endowed them with strength like his own, *
and made them in his own image.
4 He placed the fear of them* in all living beings,
and granted them dominion over beasts and birds. *
5 He made for them* tongue and eyes;
he gave them ears and a mind for thinking.
6 He filled them with knowledge and understanding,
and showed them good and evil.
7 He set his eye upon their hearts
to show them the majesty of his works. *
8 And they will praise his holy name,
to proclaim the grandeur of his works.
9 He bestowed knowledge upon them,
and allotted to them the law of life.
10 He established with them an eternal covenant,
and showed them his judgments.
11 Their eyes saw his glorious majesty,
and their ears heard the glory of his voice.

(Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 17:1-11)

1 Vani autem sunt natura omnes homines,
in quibus non subest scientia Dei;
et de his, quae videntur bonis,
non potuerunt intellegere eum, qui est,
neque operibus attendentes agnoverunt artificem.
2 Sed aut ignem aut spiritum aut citatum aerem
aut gyrum stellarum aut violentam aquam aut luminaria caeli,
rectores orbis terrarum, deos putaverunt.
3 Quorum si specie delectati, illa deos putaverunt,
sciant quanto his dominator eorum melior est:
speciei enim principium et auctor constituit ea.
4 Si autem virtutem et operationem eorum mirati,
intellegant ab illis quanto, qui haec fecit, fortior est illis:
5 a magnitudine enim et pulchritudine creaturarum
cognoscibiliter potest creator horum videri.
6 Sed tamen in his minor est querela, et hi enim fortasse errant
Deum quaerentes et volentes invenire.
7 Etenim, cum in operibus illius conversentur, inquirunt
et credunt visui,
quoniam pulchra sunt, quae videntur.
8 Iterum autem nec his potest ignosci:
9 si enim tantum valuerunt scire, ut possent aestimare saeculum,
quomodo huius Dominum non facilius invenerunt?
10 Infelices autem, et in rebus mortuis sunt spes illorum,
qui appellaverunt deos opera manuum hominum,
aurum et argentum, artis inventionem
et similitudines animalium
aut lapidem inutilem, opus manus antiquae.

1 For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature;
and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists,
nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works;
2 but they supposed that either fire or wind or swift air,
or the circle of the stars,
or turbulent water,
of the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world.
3 If through delight in the beauty of these things men* assumed them to be gods,
let them know how much better than these is their Lord,
for the author of beauty created them.
4 And if men* were amazed at their power and working,
let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them.
5 For from the greatness and beauty of created things
comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.
6 Yet these men are little to be blamed,
for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him.
7 For as they live among his works they keep searching,
and they trust in what they see,
because the things that are seen are beautiful.
8 Yet again, not even they are to be excused;
9 for if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world,
how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things?
10 But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things,
are the men who give the name "gods" to the works of men's hands,
gold and silver fashioned with skill,
and likenesses of animals,
or a useless stone,
the work of an ancient hand.

(Wisdom 13:1-10)

4 Quando video caelos tuos, opera digitorum tuorum,
lunam et stellas, quae tu fundasti,
5 quid est homo, quod memor es eius,
aut filius hominis, quoniam visitas eum?
6 Minuisti eum paulo minus ab angelis,
gloria et honore coronasti eum
7 et constituisti eum super opera manuum tuarum.
Omnia subiecisti sub pedibus eius:
8 oves et boves universas,
insuper et pecora campi,
9 volucres caeli et pisces maris,
quaecumque perambulant semitas maris.
10 Domine, Dominus noster,
quam admirabile est nomen tuum in universa terra!

When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars, which you set in their place –
what is man, that you should take thought for him?
what is the son of man, that you should look after him?

You have made him but one step lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honour;
you have set him over the works of your hands.

You have put everything beneath his feet,
cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field,
the birds in the air and the fish in the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the waters.

How wonderful is your name above all the earth,
O Lord, our Lord!

(Psalm 8:4-10)

2 Bonum est confiteri Domino
et psallere nomini tuo, Altissime,
3 annuntiare mane misericordiam tuam
et veritatem tuam per noctem
4 in decachordo et psalterio,
cum cantico in cithara.
5 Quia delectasti me, Domine, in factura tua,
et in operibus manuum tuarum exsultabo.
6 Quam magnificata sunt opera tua, Domine:
nimis profundae factae sunt cogitationes tuae.
7 Vir insipiens non cognoscet,
et stultus non intelleget haec.

It is good to praise the Lord,
and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your mercy in the morning
and your faithfulness by night;
on the ten-stringed lyre and the harp,
with songs upon the lyre.

For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation:
I rejoice in the work of your hands.
How great are your works, O Lord,
how immeasurably deep your thoughts.
The fool does not hear,
the slow-witted do not understand.

(Psalm 92:2-7)