the only place

Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25; Psalm 85 Let the clouds rain down the just one, earth bring forth a savior; Luke 7:18-23

Isaiah's text is a commentary on the first words of the bible, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..."

Three things to note about God as creator, the principle belief in faith:

1)God has called to existence everything that exist outside himself

2)He alone is creator, his voice alone can call things into existence

3)Everything that exist is dependent upon God who gives existence to all

As man it is important to remember that God creates from nothing but when we create, we always have something to start with and from: namely we and this world exist.

Everything is being sustained by God; we are being held within his hand.

This is not a bad place to be; in fact it is the only place to be.

On January 1st this year Pope Benedict gave his World Day of Peace proclamation. He focused our attention on the environment.

"If we what to cultivate peace, we must protect creation. Relationship between man and the environment must mirror God's creative love from whom all things are made and to whom all things return...In contemplating and cultivating the beauty of creation, man discovers his true dignity and place in the world."