Fr. Randy Soto is a priest recently incardinated in the Archdiocese of New York. He is one of the Spiritual Directors and professors at Saint Joseph's Seminary. He will be a weekend associate helping in our Parish.

In 2019, Fr. Randy Soto worked as Spiritual Director at the North American College in Rome and taught Scripture at the Gregorian University.

1. We were created in the image and likeness of God to be the stewards of Creation and to exist in the complementarity of female and male:

“Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Gen 1:26‐27)

2. God infused His life‐giving power in us so we could become a different and unique living being in His Creation. In addition, because all creatures reflect the life God has bestowed on them, and because all of life is sacred and we are called to praise the Lord for the gift of life, and we are called to protect all life on Earth:

“[...] A stream would rise from the earth […] Then the Lord God formed a human (ha’adam) from the dust of the ground (adamah) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living being[…] out of the ground the lord God made to grow every tree.” (Gen 2:4‐9) “Worship the lord in holy splendor: tremble before him all the earth. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice. And let them say among the nations, 'the Lord is king.' Let the sea roar and all that fills it; Let the field exalt and everything in it. Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the lord” (1 Chro 16:29‐34; Ps 148).

3. Every work of Creation is fundamentally good, including us.

“After the third day (plants and trees) […] after the fourth day (Sun and moon) [...] after the fifth day and sixth days (animals of the air, sea, and land) […] Finally, God saw everything that God had made, and indeed it was good.” (Gen 1:1‐ 31).

4. In the manner of blessing, God gave us the gift to share in His creative power.

“And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth' (Gen 1:22) “[…] and God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth'" (Gen 1:29‐30).

5. Hence, God loves creatures for their own sake.

“O Lord! How manifold are your works. In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you to give them food in due season.” (Psalm 104:10‐30).

6. Human beings were created so that they could take care of Creation and, indeed, so that they serve and preserve it like Noah.

“Have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over the cattle and wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Gen 1:26) […] “The Lord God took the human and put him in the Garden of Eden to serve it and to preserve it.” (Gen 2:15) […] “As for me I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you […] This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature.” (Gen 9:12; see also Hosea 2:18).

7. We also see the human responsibility to care for creation in the Sabbath laws of the land of Israel.

“But in the seventh year there shall be a complete rest for the land, a Sabbath for the Lord.” (Lev 25:4)

8. We are called to learn from Creation how we are supposed to live our lives:

“But ask the animals and they will teach you; the birds of the air and they will tell you. Ask the plants of the earth and they will teach you. Ask the fish of the sea and they will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has created this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:7‐10) […] “I brought you into a land to eat its fruits and its good things, but when you entered you defiled the land and made my heritage an abomination.” (Jer 2:7). “The earth dries up and withers. The world languishes and withers. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the land.” (Is 24:4‐7; compare Joel 2:2‐20.).

9. Jesus has set out a New Creation, which is at work already here and now.

“For in him all the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19‐20) […] “The kingdom of God has arrived.” (Mk 1:14). “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). “And he was with the wild animals; the angels were serving him” (Mk 1:13). […] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God” (Rom 8:22).

10. This New Creation will reach its perfection in the Celestial Jerusalem, in which there is perfect communion with God, with men, and cosmos. We shall all be Holy and Perfect as our God.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now and not only the creation but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit, groan inwardly as we await the adoption, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:19‐23) […] “Blessing and honor and glory and might be to our God who sits upon the throne and the lamb, forever and ever.” (Rev 5:13) (GS 38‐39)

Saint Teresa of Ávila was born on March 28, 1515 in the Castilian city of Ávila. At the age of 20, she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation at Ávila, a large religious community with nearly 200 sisters. She began a fervent life of prayer through the inspiration of Francisco Osuna’s Third Spiritual Alphabet and St. Augustine’s Book of Confessions.

One of her most important works is the Book of Life. On one hand, she speaks candidly about the exterior life: referring to the historical details of her childhood, to her entrance into the Carmelite Order, up to her first reformed convent, St. Joseph’s in Ávila. On the other hand, she meditates on the interior life, referring to the details of her prayer life and mystical experiences.

Saint Teresa explains that prayer and spiritual growth is akin to cultivating a garden – the garden or the soil being a symbol for the soul (Life 112ff). There are different ways of watering a garden: each one corresponds to the stages of prayer and spiritual growth. When a person begins to pray, he or she must work hard to pull the weeds, water, and sow the seeds of the garden. The result is the blooming of flowers - a symbol for virtues – the perfume of which pleases the Lord. She says that “with the help of God we must strive like good gardeners to get these plants to grow and take pains to water them so that they don’t wither but come to bud and flower and give forth a most pleasant fragrance to provide refreshment for this Lord of ours”(Life, 113).

Teresa goes on to list four methods this garden of the soul can be watered. First, the water can be drawn from a well; this way, she says, “is for us a lot of work.” Secondly, the water can be obtained using a water wheel and an aqueduct. Turning a crank on the water wheel, the water is obtained with greater ease. “I have drawn this way sometimes,” she says, “...the method involves less work than the other, and you get more water.” Thirdly, the water may come from a stream or river. This is even more effective. “The garden is watered much better by this means because the ground is more fully soaked, and there is no need to water so frequently – and much less work for the gardener.” The Fourth way is the result of rain fall. This last way is free of work. “For the Lord waters the garden without any work on our part – and this way is incomparably better than all the others mentioned.”

The water analogy provides a logical unity among the various degrees of prayer. When Saint Teresa speaks about prayer using the water analogy, she teaches us to remember there is only one water and not four. The Water is always the same: Jesus is the Spring of Eternal Water. The purpose of prayer is to converse with whom we know loves us eternally. Only with the properties of His Water can we can engage in serious contemplative prayer.