Respect Life Month

October is Respect Life month!  When we consider what “life” is, we should not forget that life created by God is not restricted to human life, and that human life is meant to be in an interdependent relationship with the rest of life that God has given.

Understanding our world and its wonders can help us deepen our knowledge of God.  Creation reflects the creator; nature contains God and shows us something about God.  Therefore, we may begin to get a glimpse of God through the wonders manifested in our cosmos.  Further, we may get a glimpse of God’s power and wisdom in the everyday miracles we observe in our own existence and in our natural world.  The Book of Wisdom tells us
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things, their original author, by analogy, is seen.  

We learn in the story of our creation that the Earth was given to us as a gift, both for our survival and also as our home.  What are we to do with such a gift?  Did God intend for us to use it all only for our own gain, or were we meant to be a part of it, only using what was necessary so that we may fulfill our needs, and to help our existence in its purpose to glorify God?

The Earth is not for our domination, but for our responsible use and care.  Any time we use something from the bounty that God has given us, we may find an opportunity to give praise and thanks to God for giving us everything we can possibly need.

While some have interpreted the story of creation to mean that humans are to dominate the Earth, Catholics argue instead that we must be stewards of the resources of the planet, and graciously use the resources God has given as gifts.  We are not to destroy the resources on our planet in order to make things more profitable, or more comfortable or more convenient or bigger, especially if it means that some part of creation will suffer or die.  Just as if we give a gift or a dwelling place to someone we love, we hope that it would be used and enjoyed, but not destroyed or squandered.  Similarly, the Earth is not for exploitation, to serve our material goals, but rather to serve the Lord.

Our existence is understood in relationship to the rest of creation, as an integrated part of the dynamism of all life.  Our sharing as part of creation is reflected when we say, “from dust you came and to dust you shall return.”  We must think of ourselves not as superior to the rest of creation, but also as a created being who owes its existence to God, dependent in our being, just as the Earth is also dependent.

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops states that stewardship of creation is part of our moral responsibility as Catholics:
Catholic Tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation.  We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation.  This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions which cannot be ignored.
Not only do we find that our concern for the Earth is a moral obligation, we find that it is an opportunity to deepen our spirituality and knowledge about ourselves as a creation of God.  St. Francis of Assisi is an excellent example of how solidarity with nature can fulfill our yearning for God’s presence.

Ideas for reflection and action:
Reflection:

• Do we treat the resources of the Earth simply as means to glorify our own lives?  Do we recognize that there is a severe misdistribution of the world’s resources and act in ways that promotes the equal sharing of these resources to end hunger and disease?
• Do we see our role as Christians as to dominate the land or to care for it?  How does this play out in our everyday decisions, or the decisions by our society’s leaders?
• Do we take time to identify ourselves as part of creation?  How can putting ourselves as part of creation awaken our spirits so they may know God more deeply, and help us to understand our relationship with our creator?

Action:

• Be ministers to our Earth; the Earth cannot speak for itself, so we are to be its advocates.  Recycle, and reduce waste vigilantly.  Avoid using items that are not recyclable, such as plastic grocery bags, which take 500 – 1000 years to degrade.  You can reduce the need for these by taking your own reusable bags.  Similarly, you can reduce the waste of water bottles and the waste in their production by using your own water bottle instead of bottled water.
• Try to buy food from a local food producer or a vendor that supports local farmers.  This not only supports our community, but makes us more conscious of our connection to the Earth and our dependence on its bounty.
• Give thanks for all who provide your food, in every stage of its production, including God in its creation.  Pray specifically; give thanks for those who grew or raised your food, give thanks to those who have produced it, and those who provide access to it.  Pray for the human consumers so they are not wasteful, and so they are charitable in sharing God’s bounty.
• Pray for those who have no access to clean water to keep them healthy and those who have little food.  Develop an awareness of the disparity of resources around the world, and be committed to spread this information so we can end world hunger.
• Take time to quiet your mind and have a retreat from the busy schedules, cell phones, and work.  Immerse yourself in nature and reflect on God’s beauty and goodness, as it is shown to us in the miracles of the life around us.  Spend some time awakening your spirit by contemplating creation and letting your spirit rest in the quiet majesty of God’s artistry.  Praise and give thanks to God for all this wonder!