The first readings from yesterday and today present to us the story of creation from the first chapter of Genesis. Today, we hear about the creation of the fifth and sixth day, which completes God’s creation of heaven and earth. God rests on the seventh day, making that day 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 as human beings often seek domination, control, and exploitation of the earth’s resources for our own benefit. All of creation is put into our human hands to supply our needs; yet, we must realize that we are only one part of creation, that a mutual interdependence exists between all of creation on earth.
In an address to the youth in the Philippines in 2015, Pope Francis stated this: “Respect for the environment means more that simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use. These are important aspects, but (it’s) 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.” From mighty galaxies to the sub-atomic particles, there is a seamless garment of creation; we human beings should serve as stewards of creation in a holistic way that will benefits our entire ecosystem here on earth. As we discuss global warming on a national level and a global level, as each family makes decisions each day that affect the environment, it gives us a lot to think about.
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