06/25/2026
"God's Beauty is Shining in His Creation" ~ by Fr. Mark Jurzyk. Read his final Pastor's Corner to you as pastor of Corpus Christi.
Every season is filled with a specific and unique beauty: Autumn with its beautiful foliage, Winter with its snow-covered landscapes, and Spring with its revival of nature. However, it is no coincidence that it is during summertime that most people take vacations for shorter or longer trips. In this time, nature reveals its extraordinary beauty, a beauty that is difficult to resist. As a good watch indicates its intelligent maker, and a comfortable car its designer, so the beauty of nature points to its Creator – God Himself. When we go on vacations to – forests, mountains, lakes, seas, beaches and meadows, let’s not close our eyes and minds to the beauty around. Doing this, helps us to draw a natural logical conclusion: how amazing and beautiful God has to be since He created such beautiful things – life with such an amazing and bountiful variety. Such a conclusion was also presented by St. Paul the Apostle in the Letter to the Romans (1:20): “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.” To any open and unspoiled mind, the natural reaction to such a conclusion is to praise God and “give him thanks.” We are called to be amazed at God’s works and to be truly grateful to Him, saying aloud or in our heart: “Thank you, Lord!”
Trips during vacation time are perfect occasions for you, your children, your spouse or any of your companions to notice the beauty of this world and give praise for the Author of all of this. Let’s recognize that the world, this earthly life, is not a punishment but a gift, an amazing gift that is given to us to use and to develop according to God’s will. The beauty of this world also points to and forecasts the beauty and happiness of our future life with God and the saints for eternity.
Below are “Ten Commandments” for coming summer vacations. I hope they will be helpful to all of us.
1. Depart from your home, but never depart from God.
2. Don’t forget to wear a cross or Catholic medallion on your neck and a prayer book in your backpack.
3. Bring comfortable shoes so that you can walk to church.
4. Follow the compass of your conscience and pray, and you will never lose your way.
5. Wear sunglasses in the sun, but do not let them hide God from you.
6. Take in good food for yourself and for your soul, so that neither goes hungry.
7. Do not litter at rest stops, nor in your own soul.
8. While walking through forests and mountains, do not lose your own holy path.
9. Do not swear; rather, smile.
10. Return from vacation with a strong body and an even stronger spirit.
In Christ,
Fr. Mark Jurzyk
*You can also read Fr. Mark Juryzk's Pastor's Corner on our website at: https://corpuschristicarolstream.org/pastors_corner/gods-beauty-is-shining-in-his-creation/
