Pope Francis reflects on God’s creation and the Holy Spirit’s gift of Knowledge

“If we destroy creation, creation will destroy us! Never forget this!”

Catholic World News – May 21, 2014 Continuing his weekly catechesis on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis devoted his May 21 general audience to the Gift of Knowledge.

When we speak of knowledge, we immediately think of the human capacity to learn more about the reality that surrounds him [God] and to discover the laws that govern nature and the universe,” said Pope Francis. “The knowledge that comes from the Holy Spirit, however, is not limited to human knowledge: it is a special gift, which allows us to grasp, through creation, the greatness and love of God and His profound relationship with every creature.”

“When our eyes are enlightened by the Spirit, they open to the contemplation of God in the beauty of nature and the grandeur of the cosmos, and lead us to discover how everything speaks to us of Him and everything speaks to us of His love,” the Pope continued. “Before all of this, the Spirit leads us to praise the Lord from the depths of our hearts and recognize, in all that we have and are, a priceless gift from God and a sign of His infinite love for us.”

The gift of knowledge, Pope Francis added, also allows us to look upon creation as God did in the Book of Genesis. “The gift of knowledge places us in profound harmony with the Creator and allows us to participate in the brightness of His gaze and His judgment,” he said. “And it is in this perspective that we can grasp in man and woman the summit of creation, as the fulfillment of a plan of love that is imprinted in each of us and that makes us recognize each other as brothers and sisters.”

This gift, the Pope continued, helps Christians avoid two errors in thinking about creation. The first is “considering ourselves masters of creation,” rather than welcoming it as a “wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all.” The second is “the temptation to limit ourselves to creatures, as if they can provide the answer to all our expectations.”

“Safeguard creation,” he concluded. “Because if we destroy creation, creation will destroy us! Never forget this!”