Last week’s reflection ended thusly:
God means us to rejoice in this world — to rejoice in His creation — and to love and care for it and those within it. “We are in this world,” John reminds us towards the end of this passage. Yes, indeed, we are. Make the best of it. Do it for God.
When I wrote that, I had not yet looked at this week’s readings. But this year’s Psalm, 98, emphasized part of the same theme:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music…. With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn, shout for joy before the Lord…. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together with joy….
All of this follows the first line of the Psalm: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.”
The Lord wants us to rejoice in His creation. It’s Springtime. The world has been renewed. Make the most of it.
