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Catholic Teachings
Biblical and Theological
Foundations
Sin and the Environment
cont.
If man is not at peace with God, then earth itself
cannot be at peace: "Therefore the land mourns
and all who dwell in it languish, and also the
beasts of the field and the birds of the air and
even the fish of the sea are taken away"
(Hos 4:3). (Pope John Paul II, “Peace
with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation”)
Ecological
Conversion
The environmental crisis of our own day constitutes
an exceptional call to conversion. As individuals,
as institutions, as a people, we need a change
of heart to save the planet for our children and
generations yet unborn. So vast are the problems,
so intertwined with our economy and way of life,
that nothing but a wholehearted and ever more
profound turning to God, the Maker of Heaven and
Earth, will allow us to carry out our responsibilities
as faithful stewards of God's creation. Only when
believers look to values of the Scriptures, honestly
admit their limitations and failings, and commit
their selves to common action on behalf of the
land and the wretched of the earth will we be
ready to participate fully in resolving this crisis.
(U.S. Catholic Bishops, “Renewing
the Earth”) |
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Jesus
Christ and Creation
Jesus of Nazareth constantly made use of the
beauty of creation to illustrate and underscore
his message of salvation. The birds of the air
and the lilies of the field were a reminder of
God’s providential care (cf. Mt 6:25-34).
The pruner of fruit trees and the manager of farms
were examples of good stewards of God’s creation
and thus a reminder of the ways Jesus’ followers
should live their own spiritual lives (cf. Luke
13:6-9). This wisdom was to be gained as a gift
of God by observing the lessons of nature (cf. Luke
21:29). Jesus used these examples to illustrate
the wisdom of caring and of vigilance. He went further
to show his followers the deeper significance of
bread broken, wine shared and oil poured. He saw
in the seed cast on the ground (Luke 8:11) a symbol
of the Word of God searching for a response in faith.
How often did he use fishing and the vicissitudes
of work on the lake (Mark 1:16-20) to call the disciples
not to be afraid and to be evangelizers. How prophetic
then is the disciples’ subsequent question
which also is ours: “Who then is this whom
even the wind and the sea obey?” (Mark 4:41).
(Bishops of the Boston Province, “And
God Saw That It Was Good”) |
