This year, I teach 4th grade RE. On September 23rd, we read this Psalm:
Last weekend, we read this psalm:
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
give praise, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all shining stars.
Praise him, highest heavens,
you waters above the heavens.
Let them all praise the LORD’s name;
for he commanded and they were created
Psalm 148: 1-5
I tried to explain to the kids how all creation praises God, even if not in voices–the stars burn and the birds sing. This led to praising God in our actions by living according to His will. However, this morning, Space.com printed an article about the sounds of the magnetosphere,* and how they sound like birds:
The magnetosphere, btw, are the magnetic waves that surround the earth to protect us from solar radiation. So, it seems in its own way, even the magnetosphere sings praises to God. How awesome is that?
This has given me a great idea for a short Rescue Sisters story. Three of my favorite characters are Sister Rita, an Earth-born woman who joins the Sisters, and Sisters Thomas and Ann, who were born in space. Ann is a very literal person. Rita’s parents send her a recordingof the birds around her their home, and she listens to them when she’s homesick. Ann will comment that they sound “off.” She’ll start listening to the recording, then tweaking it, then analyzing it… She’ll insist it’s not from Earth, but it’s not until one of the other sisters sees her equations that she realizes Sister Ann thinks it’s the magnetosphere of a planet. I could also see this in other SF stories, where they pipe in the sound of the magnetosphere and someone confuses it for birdsong. I wonder, if they did it in hydroponics, would the birds harmonize or be disturbed by the sounds? I like the idea of harmony.
So, my Catholic writing friends, what does this fire in your imagination?