God made something from nothing

From the pages of the pages of The Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 27 “The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for:

The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.”[1]

Brothers and Sisters let us give Glory to Almighty God, who desire to share such sweetness with all of creation! How much more wonderful and privileged we are, to enjoy in the Milk and Honey that he gives us. Before he created us, the world was vast and void[2].  Our loving God, who I personally acknowledge as the Master Craftsman, created everything into existence. How could such a being know where to start? How did he know how many milky ways to make? How he was going to separate the earth from the waters? Making the Sun and the Moon? This couldn’t have just happened from nothing. For how can nothing create itself? St. Thomas Aquinas address this issue from his writing of the Summa Theologiae Art.1, Obj 1 “It would seem that to create is not to make anything from nothing. For Augustine says: “To make concerns what did not exist at all; but to create is to make something by bringing forth something from what was already.” God brought forth something bigger than even my mind can dream of, the stuff that the Angels who he created can understand such beauty. The marvel of looking for such a beautiful world and hearing the creator of the universe “And he said it was good”!

The importance of God saying that “It was good”, is The Master of the Universe doesn’t make anything that is not perfect, he doesn’t make anything from any “leftover parts”. You, me, the fish that you catch from off the coast of The Java Seas around Indonesia or the crops that you raise outside of the Great City of Riyadh, from the Olive trees that you harvest outside Jerusalem, everything that was made, is made and continues to be made is perfect in the eyes of God. For even God himself answered Job,

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

“Or who shut in the sea with doors,
when it burst forth from the womb;
when I made clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed bounds for it,
and set bars and doors,
and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?[3]

God’s greatness is beyond all the richness of this world and greater than any human king that has walked the earth. For his Love is the fire the kindles the heart of mortal men. His desire to share that love is the reason why he created all things. St. Thomas Aquinas again confirms that “we must consider not only the emanation of a particular being from a particular agent, but also the emanation of all being from the universal cause, which is God; and this emanation we designate by the name of creation. Now what proceeds by particular emanation, is not presupposed to that emanation; as when a man is generated, he was not before, but man is made from “not-man,” and white from “not-white.” Hence if the emanation of the whole universal being from the first principle be considered, it is impossible that any being should be presupposed before this emanation. For nothing is the same as no being. Therefore as the generation of a man is from the “not-being” which is “not-man,” so creation, which is the emanation of all being, is from the “not-being” which is “nothing.”[4] Each of us my brothers and sisters were made wonderfully by him. Imagine, your earthly mother and father, holding you, making sure you have a beautiful blanket wrap around you. How they cherish your smile and those big, beautiful eyes. How they look at your face, the shape of your head. The hug that tiny body and in their inner nature, make sure you are protected and defended. Now, imagine God, how no one has seen face to face, yet he fashioned you in his mind. He knew what kind of body to give you, he knew the best gifts to implant into your mind. The most of these features, is the beautiful soul that he made. This soul is very precious then any stone that he made. It is the essence that brings your physical body to life. It gives you your personality, your laughter and your character as a human being.  “then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”[5] The same spirit that hovered over the water in the void and darkness, is the same Spirit of the Living God who made us in his image and for the fulfillment of having joy in him. Think about this for a personal second. God didn’t need us. He didn’t need to create anybody to enjoy his creation. He could have done without us and been at peace with his masterpiece. But he wanted to have someone share in his Joy. The joy when you get promoted, when you have your first offspring, when you first say I love you, when you first get married, but this Joy is an everlasting high, it is pure and very sweet. But this “honey’ is only tasted, when we have reached Heaven and are in his Mighty Presence in the Beatific Vision. Let us not waste our time, talent and treasure. Let us not abuse the animals and plants that are under our care. Let us not harm or injure one another, for we are all children of the Living God. Let us rejoice and be grateful for the gift that God has given us.

Reflect on this quote from a wonderful man who was touched by the Mercy of God,

“God freely created us so that we might know, love, and serve him in this life and be happy with him forever. God’s purpose in creating us is to draw forth from us a response of love and service here on earth, so that we may attain our goal of everlasting happiness with him in heaven.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully.
As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”
― St. Ignatius of Loyola

Thank you and May God blessing come upon you and give you his peace!

Aaron Joseph Hackett