Earth Day

Readings for Thursday April 22, 2010

First Reading: Acts 8:26-40
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 66
Gospel: John 6:44-51


Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:45-51)

Today we is the celebration of earth day. This is a day that many people have different feelings about. Some people take it very seriously and celebrate it more than they would Easter or Christmas, others don't even think of it as a celebration or an important day at all. Me personally, I think that it is a good thing to take time to remember how important it is to be good stewards of this earth which God has made and given to us. In the book of Genesis, we are told of how God made the heavens and the earth, and because they were dark and formless, He gave it light, the sky, the sea and all that is in it today. We must remember that it is God who created this earth and all that is in it, and our responsibility is to be good stewards of this gift, not to wreck it.

Today there is a big push for everything to be "green" and for us to beware of climate change. While I think that it is important for us to be aware of the effects that we are having on the environment, it should not be the most important thing in this life. There are people today who are treating the "green" movement almost as if it were a religion, and this is something that we must all be weary of. While it is good that we take care of things in our lives, we cannot let them become the center of our world. We cannot let earthly things be our main focus or become idols in our lives. We would do well to always remember that at the center of our lives should be Christ, the true bread of life.

On this earth day let us not only think about how we can be better stewards, but also let us remember who it is who created us and the earth, and who it is that loved the world so much that He gave His only Son.

Father above, we thank you and praise you for this gift of this day. Lord, we thank you and praise you for this earth which you made and which is good. Lord, thank you for your great love and mercy, help us to be good stewards of this earth and of this life which you give us. Lord increase our faith so that we may always keep you at the center of our lives. We ask this all through Christ our Lord, Amen.