The first readings from yesterday and today have the story of creation from the first chapter of Genesis. Today, we hear about the creation of the fifth and sixth day, completing God’s creation of heaven and earth, with God resting on the seventh day, making it holy. In reflecting on today’s reading, in recent years we have interpreted it as a responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, realizing the impact we human beings can have on the environment. Rather than good management and good stewardship of God’s creation, we often seek domination, control, and the exploitation of the earth’s resources for any benefit we can get from them. Yes, all of creation is put into human hands to supply our needs, but we need to realize that we are part of creation, and that a mutual interdependence exists between all of creation on planet earth. Pope Francis’ had this to say in an address to the youth in the Philippines, bank in 2015: “Respect for the environment means more that simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but (it is) not enough. We need to see, with the eyes of faith, the beauty of God’s saving plan, the link between the natural environment and the dignity of the human person… As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family. When we destroy our forests, ravage our soil, and pollute our seas, we betray that noble calling.” Yes, from to mighty galaxies to the sub-atomic particles, there is a seamless garment of creation into which we human beings must fit in a way that benefits all. As we discuss global warming on a national level, as each family makes decisions each day that affect the environment, it gives us a lot to think about.
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