Thought for the Day – 10 September – The Creation

Thought for the Day – 10 September – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Creation

“God is infinitely perfect in Himself and has, therefore, no need of creatures of His eternal happiness.
He knows Himself fully and this act of knowing, is not transient but substantial and eternal.
It is the perfct image of His own Essence, the Word which expressed His Divine Infinity.

Knowing Himself in the infinite depths of His truth, beauty and goodness, God naturally loves Himself.
This love, also substantial and external, is the Holy Spirit, Who proceeds, not only from the Father but also from the Word, since God loves Himself because He knows Himself perfectly.
The happiness of God, as St Gregory Nazianzen writes, is not a solitary state of beatitude.
He has within Himself, the Word, His consubstantial Son, in Whom is reflected the perfection of His nature and to Whom, He repeats from eternity: “You are my son; this day I have begotten you” (Ps 2:7).
Moreover, in an act equally substantial and infinite, He pours forth His love, the Holy Spirit.
Because, He is infinitely happy and perfect in Himself, God wished to manifest His perfection and to communicate His happiness to others.
According to St Thomas Aquinas, the only reason why God has created, is to manifest His glory and to share His happiness.
Creation is, therefore, an act of love.
“I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, have I drawn thee, taking pity on thee” (Jer 31:3).
“God,” says St Irenaeus, “did not create man because He had need of him but because, He wished to have creatures on whom He could shower His gifts.”
That is why Sacred Scripture tells us that “the Lord has made everything for His own ends” (Prov 16:4).

Turning over these reflections in our minds, we should make an act of profound humility before God and acknowledge that we are nothing without Him.
We should express our deep gratitude to God for our very existence and for all the other gifts with which He has enriched us.

Finally, we should pay Him the tribute of our love, which should be expressed in a practical manner, as well as verbally, by complete and constant fidelity to His commandments.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci