The following words were written (originally in prose form) by Peter Leithart in the "Quodlibet" section of the current issue of Touchstone. I found them to be worthy of poetic form and took the liberty of arranging them so (I hope Dr. Leithart won't mind).
Creation's Worship
Peter Leithart, 2010
Why do birds sing at daybreak?
Why does frosted gravel sparkle
like diamonds in the sun?
Why do spring lilacs
cast their aroma out on the air?
Hearing, sight, smell -
all are senses that receive their pleasures
at a distance. But why?
For whom or what?
For us, no doubt.
Smells, sounds, and sights
draw us from a distance,
inviting us to draw near
to taste and touch.
But not only for us.
For the Christian,
the ultimate answer is liturgical.
Creation exists to offer praise to the Creator,
and in her worship,
the Church participates in that cosmic liturgy -
humanly articulating the sounds, sights, and aromas
that already ascend to heaven.
