The practice of reflecting on God using the natural world as a sort of “icon” for the divine has been neglected by many Christians who are put off by the secular practice of treating nature as the only way of encountering God, along with the tendency of New Age spirituality to divinize nature. But ignoring the ways that we can encounter the presence of God in the natural world cuts us off from an important part of our tradition, not to mention a way of experiencing God’s presence with a sense of awe, wonder, and joy. Dive deeper to find five ways of praying with nature.
Six ways to put a Catholic spin on Earth Day
The Church preached respect and care for the natural world long before it was cool. This Earth Day, share some of that tradition with your kids. On Teaching Catholic Kids, you’ll find six ways to put a Catholic spin on Earth Day, including a blessing for God and his creation, a poetry suggestion, stories of saints, activities and the St. Francis Pledge.