YOUCAT*: “We fulfill God’s commission with regard to creation when we care for the earth, with its biological laws, its variety of species, its natural beauty, and its dwindling resources, as a living space and preserve it, so that future generations also can live well on earth.” [CCC 2415]
In Genesis 2:15 we read, “The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” It was part of God’s plan from the very beginning for us to care for the environment. Oftentimes, we think “Ah, it’s only the straw wrapper; I can leave ‘um on the ground.” Just imagine all 1.4 million of us in Hawaii saying that. That’s a lot of straw wrappers.
Pope Francis reminds us in his recent encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home,” that caring for our environment is a shared responsibility. He also announced that Sept. 1 will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
*Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church
Lisa Gomes is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry