The Glorious Multiplicity of Creation

Last updated on: December 23, 2014 at 4:24 pm by willduquette

The Glorious Multiplicity of Creation 2014-12-23T16:24:42-05:00 willduquette

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Two weeks ago I looked at paragraphs 48 and 49 of Lumen Fidei, and talked about the Glorious Multiplicity of the Magisterium. The truth of the faith is too large, I said, (using rather more words) for one bishop to encompass it all; thus, we have many, so that nothing may be lost.

In that post I was speaking of revelation; but the same thing is true of all of creation. God is vast, unbounded; and everything that was, and is, and will be in all of creation exists to show forth some perfection of God. The universe is vast because God is vast; it takes a lot to glorify Him properly.

And the same is true of each culture here on Earth. So says Pope Francis:

The unity of faith, then, is the unity of a living body; this was clearly brought out by Blessed John Henry Newman when he listed among the characteristic notes for distinguishing the continuity of doctrine over time its power to assimilate everything that it meets in the various settings in which it becomes present and in the diverse cultures which it encounters, purifying all things and bringing them to their finest expression. Faith is thus shown to be universal, catholic, because its light expands in order to illumine the entire cosmos and all of history.

(My emphasis.)

All cultures are different; all have their own idiosyncrasies and peccadilloes and besetting sins and presenting virtues; and each, in its own way (and possibly despite itself) glorifies its Creator. And so it is natural, the most natural thing in the world, that when a culture discovers Catholicism and embraces it, it sheds its pagan ways but retains all it had that was good and true and beautiful.

Scripture says that Christ will draw all things to Himself; and that includes all of the glories of creation; and all of the glories of all the nations. Not one bit of glory will be lost.

Lumen Fidei

lumen fidei

Pope Francis

Previous Post

September 6, 2014

Quill News, 5 Sep 2014

Next Post

September 8, 2014 CT 11: Identity of Essence and Existence in God

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Admin App o' the Morning Ask the Dogmat Believing Thomas Bits of Fiction Blasts from the Past Bootstrapping the Interior Life Catholic Mom Christian Living Deep Thoughts from the Doghouse Dominicana Evangelii Gaudium Interviews It Was A Dark and Stormy Night Links to This and That Lumen Fidei Meme Watch On Writing Operation Gratitude Pedant Errant Photography Quill Random Barkings S'Mary's World Shakers of Salt Software Development The Dog Whistler The Dogmat Sez Third Orders Thomas Aquinas Uncategorized Vikings at Dinos Woof Guide to Cinema Woof Guide to History Woof Guide to Literature Woof Guide to Obscure Catholic Music Woof Guide to Philosophy Woof Guide to Popular Music Woof Guide to Technology Woof Guide to Theology Words I Wish I'd Written Works For Me

Select a Month September 2016 August 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the name "Elijah" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

My God is Yahweh God Saves God Provides God is Light