“When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them.” – Pope Francis, Ladauto Si’ 87
Paws In Praise Is A Blog About
how the everyday moments of our veterinary lives open our hearts to a more intimate relationship with Jesus and help us to understand what it means to be human, cherished and bestowed with dignity. To remain grounded in faith and maintain true purpose in our work, we must recognize the reflection of God in all that exists and take the time to pause in praise of the Lord, for and with His creation.
“God comes to us in… the things of our everyday life, apart from which we cannot understand ourselves.”1 Sometimes the life of a veterinary student feels monotonous – God is there. Sometimes the life of a veterinary student feels exhilarating – God is there. Sometimes the life of a veterinary student feels impossible – God is there, and He is there to affirm we can do all through Him who empowers us with strength (Phil 4:13). We cannot understand ourselves unless we welcome God into the everyday moments of our lives.
Recognizing God in the details
In an experience more intimate than standing before human artwork in contemplation of the artist, we sit within God’s masterpiece and experience the goodness of God with all our senses. How often do we stop to gaze upon the handiwork of our most magnificent Creator and to consider how we are enfolded in it, how we are a part of it? We are surrounded by sacredness, and as Paul Ricoeur said, “in my effort to decipher the sacredness of the world, I explore my own.”2 Part of this exploration must include the study of animals; “what it means to be human can never be determined without the animal other.”3
Through veterinary medicine, we have the privilege of examining the innermost workings and intricate processes of God’s creation. Studying these concealed details is like studying the penciled sketch buried beneath layers of paint; under one masterpiece is another. We can see God’s timeless wisdom reflected in the complexity of anatomy, His divine simplicity in the ordered processes of physiology, and His infinite goodness in the diversity of His creation. “Ever since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what He has made” (Romans 1:20). What better way to more intimately know creation and Creator than to study, down to the microscopic level, the structures God sculpted to sustain life?
Exploring the connection between faith and work
Becoming physicians affords us a unique opportunity to connect with Jesus, our Ultimate Physician. When we heal animals, God uses our hands to heal people, as well as the environment. This gift of cooperation with God is a spectacular “expression of human dignity.”4 As Catholic veterinarians, we are called beyond the mission to practice medicine and advance animal and public health; we are called to sainthood, to holiness. Pope Francis says, “We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves… by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of [our] brothers and sisters.”5 A priest once said that as students earn a college education, they must also strive to earn a college-level understanding of their faith. Earning a veterinary medical degree calls for doctoral-level integration of our faith and work. So let’s get started…
Following each post will be a piece of scripture, wisdom from the saints, or prayer to meditate on. Lectio divina is a form of prayer involving the following four steps: Lectio (reading), Oratio (praying), Meditatio (meditation), and Contemplatio (contemplating). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes each step of this meditation in a bit more detail here. If you prefer a guided video, Brother Simon, a Benedictine monk at St. Meinrad Archabbey, leads an online lectio divina group here that I found helpful as I was first learning the process.
This week, I’ve selected one of my favorite passages from the Book of Wisdom for you:
Lectio Divina on Wisdom Chapter 13:
1Foolish by nature were all who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing the one who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
2Instead either fire, or wind, or the swift air, or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water, or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
3Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
4 Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them realize from these things how much more powerful is the one who made them
5For from the greatness and the beauty of created things their original author, by analogy, is seen.
References
- JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio (14 Sept 1998), 12.
- Paul Ricoeur as quoted in FRANCIS, Encyclical Letter Ladauto Si’ (24 May 2015), 85.
- Jody Emel as quoted in Urbanik, Julie. (2012). Placing Animals (pp. 142). Lanham, MD: Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
- FRANCIS, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (25 March 2019), 271.
- FRANCIS, Apostolic Exhortation Guadete et Exsultate (19 March 2018), 14.