Following the second chapter of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Sì, it is possible to say that Creation is Gospel, is Good News. First, Creation has an underlying goodness, as we read in the Book of Genesis. "God saw what He had made, and behold, it was a very good thing." (Gen. 1:31). For a believer, it is the fundamental goodness of Creation in God's eyes that constitutes the intrinsic value of every created reality. The various creatures, intentional in their own being, reflect, each in its own way, a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness.

Creation is God's act of love. Our physical universe is not an accident or fortuitous event; the word "Creation" is more than "Nature" because it has to do with a design of God's love, where every creature has value and meaning. What a wonderful certainty it is to know that each person's life is not lost in a despairing chaos, in a world governed by pure randomness or meaninglessly repeating cycles! Each is wanted, each is loved, each is necessary.

Finally, Creation is "Good News" in that it is the first and primordial revelation of God. In all religious traditions, there have been countless men and women, sages and saints who have been able to see God in the mirror of His creation, like St. Francis of Assisi.

In the context of the contemporary ecological crisis, as humanity faces the specter of the very collapse of civilization, we must remember Jesus' mandate to all His disciples to "go and preach the good news to every creature" (Mk. 16:15).

The full article is available in the WMD 2023 booklet.

To access all the materials in the different languages available - Italian, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese - frame the QR code.

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