Adrian Rufo P.

Naragas November 21, 2018

Catholic Social Teaching Rev. Fr. Mart James Presillas
Care for God’s Creation:
To Harmonize is to Become One with Nature
“Every act of cruelty towards any creature is contrary to human dignity” this is one of
Pope Francis’ striking messages in his encyclical Laudato si concerning on man’s indifference
towards the nature. He follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creature of this
world sooner or later will affect the treatment towards our fellow human beings. Because for
Pope Francis he believes that all of us creations of God have only one heart. The same
wretchedness which lead us to mistreat any creation will not be long in showing itself in our
relationship with other people.

Man is a being that is a “being-in-the-world”. It is an inescapable fact that we all live in

this world and that it is in this world that we find ourselves and our purpose in life. We are one
with this world that we live in. We are one in existence. Thus, knowing the fact that we live in in
this world and share the same existence, man has to correspond as to what the world provides
and demands in order to have harmony between the two. It is also by way of harmonizing
ourselves with the world that we show our care and reverence to God and His creation.

As what we have seen in our society today, we are living in a world that promotes a
consumeristic attitude towards the resources of the nature. Mining and illegal logging has
become a trend and is present in almost all region here in our country. Abuses in fish farming has
become very rampant. Excessive pollutions in the seas, airs and lands have been slowly torturing
our world. These are the result of the greediness of the people to acquire possessions. Man has
the tendency to be overly attached with their obsessions that they fail to notice that our Earth is
suffering because of their indifference towards it.

Seeing all of these problems that are present in our society, as Christian, it is a great
challenge for us to live out the values that we have been living for. We are all challenged to live
out our lives as Christians as the stewards of God’s creation for like the animals, trees, elements
and the entire earth, like us human beings, are God’s creation. We must value, respect and
cherish what our land has provided for it is one of God’s manifestation of love for us Humans.
To harmonize is to become one with the nature. To become one with the nature is to become
sensitive to its needs. Every act of love towards any creation is the same as loving oneself and
most especially of God.