Hope and Act with Creation

The new story of Creation, the Universe Story — so famously made known by Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim and their countless colleagues, students, and friends — makes very clear that at almost all times and seasons, in practically every day and every prayer, Our God is too small. In reality, the larger context of every moment of our lives is an expanding Universe of unimaginable size, power, and beauty. In reality, the larger context of every moment of our lives is the Mystery we call God, the Creator, Who birthed this Universe in a great fiery flaring forth and Who has cherished and shaped it through billions of years, up to this very evolutionary moment, this very evolutionary place. Awareness of this Context of our lives demands that we pause in the deep quiet of awe. It is important that this is the sense of Creator God to Whom we turn, Who opens our eyes, our ears, our hearts, and to Whom we respond in awe, worship, and action during this Season of Creation. Columban Fr. Vincent Busch, serving in the Philippines for about 50 years among the Subanens people, created the following Mandala and poem, trying to capture in a small way, in accessible images, symbols, and words from the new Universe Story, the overwhelming greatness of God and the Universe. We are grateful to Fr. Busch for permission to build upon his creative work. These images will be reflected in the Introductory Comments and prayer suggestions for each of the Sundays of this year’s Season of Creation in the materials that follow. May they be a blessing upon our efforts to respond to the great Mystery we call God, Who cherishes us and the Universe of which we are a small part, and, in words attributed to the Creator Spirit by Fr. Busch, welcomes us “...to the celebration of Creation’s transformation from my fire that grew to be a wondrous blue-green symphony.”