A method to find the presence of God in all things

This method can help remind us that God is always with us and in everything we see.

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God is all around us, but how often do we recognize that reality? It is easy to go about our daily lives without ever thinking of God, when in fact he is with us and in all of creation.

St. Paul of the Cross reflected on this spiritual truth in Flowers of the Passion, and provided a brief method of recognizing God’s presence that can be applied to various circumstances.

Let everything recall to you the presence of God. If for example you go into the garden and see some flowers ask one of them, “What are you?” It will not reply — I am a flower. No but it will say to you, “I am a preacher, I preach the power, the wisdom, the goodness, the beauty, the prudence of our great God.” Imagine that the flower makes you this reply and let it penetrate your heart and teach you a lesson of divine love.

This method appears to be based on a similar meditation given by St. Augustine.

Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air, amply spread around everywhere, question the beauty of the sky, question the serried ranks of the stars, question the sun making the day glorious with its bright beams … question all these things. They all answer you, “Here we are, look; we’re beautiful.” Who made these beautiful changeable things, if not one who is beautiful and unchangeable?

As we go through our daily lives, let us pause frequently and question the created things we see. They should all remind us of God’s love and presence in our lives, for he created this world for each one of us.