Providence is that which a divinity grants.
The Latin word providentia came into our language as providence . The term mentions that which is arranged in advance or that allows a certain goal to be achieved. Generally, the concept refers to what a deity grants (in this case, it is written with an initial capital letter: Providence ).
Divine Providence , in this sense, is the action of God and the resources that he gives to human beings so that they can survive and develop. For example: "We had many problems, but we managed to get ahead thanks to Providence" , "After the drought, we only have to appeal to Divine Providence to feed our children."
In other words, Divine Providence speaks of the superiority of God and the need that human beings have for their existence so that He provides them with the necessary tools to lead a full life. Although Catholicism does not contemplate direct intervention in people's lives, it does not deny its influence, its inspiration and its messages. To be a recipient of Divine Providence, a religious inclination is not necessary, but rather sufficient openness to perceive and take advantage of it.
Divine Providence according to philosophy
Plato, one of the most renowned Greek philosophers, who had Socrates as a teacher and Aristotle as a student, spoke of Divine Providence in his work entitled " The Laws ", which consists of an " Argument " and twelve books. For his part, Saint Augustine (one of the main thinkers of Christianity, also known as Augustine of Hippo), collected this idea from Plato to mention the existence of this bond between God and his people, in the eighth book of his work entitled " The city of God «, divided into 22 books.
Continuing with the concept within the limits of Christianity, the Syrian writer and theologian Juan Damasceno defined Divine Providence as the care that God provides for his creations , and also the series of rules and regulations that he bequeathed to them so that they could lead a righteous and fair All this is found in his famous book entitled " Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith ."
Regarding the iconography of Divine Providence, one of the ancient representations showed an old man holding a horn in one hand ( the horn of plenty ) and a staff in the other, with which he pointed to our planet while at the same time I stared at him.
Divine Providence is given by what God gives to people so that they can develop fully.
The concept in literature and law
In the field of literature, outside the context of religion, Divine providence can be a real character that exerts influence on different events in history. Although it can be compared to the Deus ex machina of Greek theater (an external element that appears to solve a problem ignoring the internal logic of the story), it generally impacts development to a lesser extent, or in a way not as immediate and specific.
In the field of law , the ruling is a judicial decision that allows establishing the material order of a dispute . This act carried out by a court makes it possible to resolve a request from a party or establishes compliance with a certain measure.
Places called Providencia
Providencia is also the name of numerous administrative entities in different countries . A commune of Santiago , in Chile , is named after Providencia : just over 130,000 people live there and there are attractions such as the Falabella Palace , the La Chascona house (in which the poet Pablo Neruda lived) and the Church of Our Lady of Divine Providence .
In Colombia , Providencia is a municipality in the department of Nariño and a township in the municipality of San Roque . Providencia is also a district of the province of Luya , in the territory of Peru.
Argentina, Bahamas, Spain y Venezuela son otros países que disponen de ciertos lugares nombrados como Providence.