God’s providence

The paternal providence of God frees us from the dark ones forces of destiny God created the world. The Catechism adds, “And it preserves and governs it.” Theologians claim that the preservation of the world is a continuation of creation. It is unthinkable that God could create the world and then leave it their destiny. He still works in them through his providence. To be prudent is to care about the world and have a responsibility for it, and especially for the people. This fact is intended to relieve us of concern and harm worry.

Primitive man fears gods and evil spirits.
He tries to reconcile them through gifts and to avoid them to them. Science and culture set us free from the superstitious fear of mysterious evil beings. But science raises new fears. It shows us the helplessness of man against the relentless and unchanging laws of nature. In the great mechanism of the universe one feels like a little chick that anyone can step on the step of evil for a moment.

Towards the end of the Greco-Roman era, when the Olympics
the gods became only symbols of the forces of nature, the relentlessness of the laws of nature was given a special name – destiny,
fatum (“fatalism” is derived from this). There was a popular saying that they fight fate in vain even the gods. What is “destiny” cannot be done to avoid. Fate is the law of the world, it is unchanging like the orbits of stars in the sky. We have nothing left but to come to terms with destiny, or, as astrologers have said, to submit to the movements of celestial bodies.

Astrology was widespread in the ancient world.
The argument put forward in its favor was as follows: What it is perfect, it is the cause of what is less perfect; the regular orbit of stars in the sky is much more perfect than human life full of disturbing elements. Therefore, human life must subordinate the position of the stars. “” Astrologers “considered themselves experts in the art of guessing which position of the stars is favorable for those which human action. Thus, the Church Fathers wrote controversies against Fate (title of one about the treatise of St. Gregory of Nazianzus) or about God’s providence (for example, Theodore of Cyrus). There are inevitable laws in nature, it is useless deny it. But behind them, in the depths of divine life, there is one who has everything in his hands and who gives us ordered us to address him as “our Father in heaven”, who feeds birds and dresses flowers (cf. Mt 6:30). And who assured us, “Ask, and you shall receive” (Mt 7: 7).

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, a disciple of Saint John evangelists, emphasizes in one of his letters that sages from the East sought Jesus born “under one star “, but eventually discovered that star he had to come to where he was born, that is, to listen the one who is the lord of the stars. This abolished astrology. St. Gregory of Nazianzus discussed with one philosopher a fatalist. He liked to admit that it was more perfect the cause of what is less perfect. But it would be. It is a big mistake to believe that a planet without intelligence they are more perfect than a free man created to the image of God, the king of the universe.

One of the oldest images of Christ, the Greek Panto player (the almighty, who has everything in his hands), represents Christ on the imperial throne, under him  sometimes a rainbow is painted with your feet. Spiritual the meaning is a rebuke: Do not be afraid of men, nor of the mighty; but don’t worry with even the forces of nature, they are under my feet.
Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, once visited a village school. A geography class was underway. The teacher wanted to show the king what his boys knew, and that was why he asked them, “Where are our villages?” “In Prussia.” “And where is Prussia? “” In Germany. ” “And where is Germany?” “In Europe.” “And where is Europe?” One student replied with a little hesitation, “On the globe.” The king noticed his hesitation and asked, “And where is the globe?” This time the boy replied firmly, “In his hands God. “After such an answer, the king had nothing left to do ask.