We’re reading Paul’s Letter to the Romans– his most important letter– for almost four weeks at Mass. Paul writes to a Jewish-Christian community in Rome to establish his credentials as an apostle of Christ and to enlist their help for a journey he wants to make to Spain. It’s a community of Jewish and Roman converts trying to reconcile Jewish law and tradition with faith in Christ, so the letter takes on that question at length. 

It can be hard to follow. We need to remember the letter is based on Paul’s basic teaching, the common creed of the church. Today’s reading (Romans 8: 12-17), for example, is a beautiful reflection on the mission of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads us to call God, the creator of heaven and earth, “Abba, Father!” We are God’s adopted children, “joint heirs with Christ” called to share in his glory, “if only we suffer with him.” 

Tomorrow’s reading continues this teaching as it applies to creation. “Creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God.” It “groans in labor pains” until that day comes when there will be a “new heaven and a new earth.” Just as we await the fruit of our adoption, creation waits to share in our adoption in “the redemption of our bodies.” 

All creation groans in labor pains, shares a common suffering,  waits for the Spirit to fulfill his promise. Creation has a share in the resurrection of Christ. 

This is teaching about creation you won’t get from science. We have it from faith. It’s an important teaching for us today. It’s important, too, to recognize it’s is not just Paul’s personal teaching. He’s preaching from the basic teaching of the church.

Paul speaks of creation as he begins his Letter to the Romans.  “Ever since the creation of the world, God’s invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made.” Creation reveals God to us, yet human beings turn from the God of creation, creating gods of their own.

Paul’s words are a timely commentary on climate change today as we continue to put national and personal interests, our oil fields and coal mines and life-styles above the well being of our earth. His teaching on creation is a basic teaching that needs to be heard.