Confessions - Book Xiii - Chapter Xxxii
St. Augustine reflects on the ordered beauty of God's creation, emphasizing humanity's unique role as rational beings made in God's image and the divinely ordained order within creation.
In this devotional sermon, St. Augustine meditates on the ordered beauty of God's creation as revealed in the heavens, earth, and all living creatures. He highlights humanity's unique status as rational beings made in God's image and explores the divinely ordained order within creation, including the relationship between man and woman. This reflection invites believers to appreciate the goodness and purpose embedded in all aspects of the created world.
Text
47. Thanks be to thee, O Lord! We see the heaven and the earth, either the corporeal part--higher and lower--or the spiritual and physical creation. And we see the light made and divided from the darkness for the adornment of these parts, from which the universal mass of the world or the universal creation is constituted. We see the firmament of heaven, either the original \"body\" of the world between the spiritual (higher) waters and the corporeal (lower) waters[651] or the expanse of air--which is also called \"heaven\"--through which the fowls of heaven wander, between the waters which move in clouds above them and which drop down in dew on clear nights, and those waters which are heavy and flow along the earth. We see the waters gathered together in the vast plains of the sea; and the dry land, first bare and then formed, so as to be visible and well-ordered; and the soil of herbs and trees. We see the light shining from above--the sun to serve the day, the moon and the stars to give cheer in the night; and we see by all these that the intervals of time are marked and noted. We see on every side the watery elements, fruitful with fishes, beasts, and birds--and we notice that the density of the atmosphere which supports the flights of birds is increased by the evaporation of the waters. We see the face of the earth, replete with earthly creatures; and man, created in thy image and likeness, in the very image and likeness of thee--that is, having the power of reason and understanding--by virtue of which he has been set over all irrational creatures. And just as there is in his soul one element which controls by its power of reflection and another which has been made subject so that it should obey, so also, physically, the woman was made for the man; for, although she had a like nature of rational intelligence in the mind, still in the sex of her body she should be similarly subject to the sex of her husband, as the appetite of action is subjected to the deliberation of the mind in order to conceive the rules of right action. These things we see, and each of them is good; and the whole is very good!
Sermon Outline
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I. The Visible Creation
- Heaven and earth as corporeal and spiritual realms
- Light separated from darkness to adorn creation
- Firmament as the expanse between waters
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II. The Elements of the World
- Waters gathered in seas and atmospheric phenomena
- Dry land formed and adorned with plants
- Celestial bodies marking time
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III. The Creatures of the Earth
- Fishes, beasts, and birds inhabiting waters and air
- Earth filled with living creatures
- Man created in God's image with reason and understanding
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IV. The Divine Order and Human Relationships
- Rational soul governing the appetites
- Woman's role in relation to man
- All creation declared very good
Key Quotes
“We see the light made and divided from the darkness for the adornment of these parts, from which the universal mass of the world or the universal creation is constituted.” — St. Augustine
“Man, created in thy image and likeness, in the very image and likeness of thee--that is, having the power of reason and understanding--by virtue of which he has been set over all irrational creatures.” — St. Augustine
“These things we see, and each of them is good; and the whole is very good!” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Recognize and appreciate the divine order present in all aspects of creation.
- Embrace your identity as made in God's image, reflecting reason and understanding.
- Respect the God-ordained roles and relationships within human society.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does St. Augustine mean by man being made in God's image?
He means that humans possess reason and understanding, reflecting God's nature and having dominion over other creatures.
How does Augustine describe the relationship between man and woman?
He explains that although both have rational intelligence, the woman is subject to the man in bodily sex order, analogous to appetite being subject to reason.
What is the significance of light in creation according to Augustine?
Light is created and separated from darkness to adorn the heavens and mark the intervals of time.
Why does Augustine emphasize the goodness of creation?
To affirm that all parts of creation, both spiritual and physical, are ordered and declared very good by God.