The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Paragraphs 298-299

298 Since God could create everything out of nothing, he can also, through the Holy Spirit, give spiritual life to sinners by creating a pure heart in them, and bodily life to the dead through the Resurrection. God "gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." and since God was able to make light shine in darkness by his Word, he can also give the light of faith to those who do not yet know him.

299  Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: "You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.” The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the "image of the  invisible God", is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the "image of God" and called to a personal relationship with God. Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth from God's goodness, it shares in that goodness -"and God saw that it was good. . . very good” -for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an    inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world.
 

A Letter from Father Christian

Dear Faithful,

The 1st reading from the 5th Sunday of Easter really struck me.  It says:  They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to  undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 14) In what way did this encourage and exhort the early Christians?  It would seem that such a statement would do quite the opposite.  Paul is basically saying, “You are going to encounter resistance and  suffering in the Christian life!”  I would suggest to you that this   statement is encouraging and even for us today.  I find in my own life that there can be that subtle lie that says, “If I’m living my faith right then everything will go okay for me and things will be smooth sailing.”  I somehow equate strong faith with an easy life.  St. Paul totally blows this notion up with his words from the Acts of the  Apostles.  We WILL encounter difficulties when we live out our faith.  It’s part of life and the part of living the Christian faith.  It’s in those precise times when our faith and trust is tested and strengthened.  Yes, it is wonderful and beautiful when we are at relative peace and consoled but it is unrealistic to think that we will never undergo hardships and suffering.  The goal of the Christian life is union with God . . . If we stay focused on this, both in and out of suffering, we will be doing well.

Peace and God bless,
Fr. Christian

"Feed My Sheep" by Yongsung Kim