Spring has sprung! In most of the country, the flowers are blooming, the weather is warming, and people are spending more time outside appreciating the wonder of Creation. The beauty of nature reminds us of God’s loving care, and it calls us to do our part to care for the gift of Creation.
In fact, did you know that caring for the environment is not just a nice thing to do, but a commandment of the Lord? Fr. James Kubicki, SJ stopped by Morning Air® recently to discuss a Catholic approach to the environment, and why our treatment of the Earth is a moral issue.
“Human beings are made in God’s image and likeness,” Fr. Kubicki said. “God is the Creator and we are called to be co-creators, to care for the Earth, to develop it in a way that is according to God’s plan. Not in a wasteful way that poisons it or uses up the resources so that future generations are left without. We are called to develop the Earth in a just and holy way.”
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that care for Creation is part of the 7th Commandment: you shall not steal. It says:
The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation. (#2415)
“The call for all of us is to not be wasteful, even if we have an abundance of a particular resource” explained Fr. Kubicki. “To not waste it and to use it in a way that reminds us that this water or energy is a gift we have for our use. We shouldn’t take it for granted.”
So how can we be good stewards of Creation, and avoid stealing its bounty from future generations? It means doing what you can, when you can, and keeping your eyes on eternity when you make choices each day.
Fr. Kubicki said, “It comes down to our own individual choices with regards to whether we take the resources we have for granted, whether we use them in a wasteful way, or whether we use them in a way that we give thanks to God and use them in a way that gives glory to God.”
Morning Air can be heard weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. Central on Relevant Radio® and the Relevant Radio App.
