One of the themes of Catholic Social Teaching is to care for God’s creation; its roots are in the creation story of each one of us. 

In Genesis 2:7 we hear a simple, beautiful creation story, “then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” This story of our origin, of being molded from the particles and substance of the earth and formed by the hand of God, gives us reason to pause – in wonder and awe of our bodies as well as the rest of creation. Each of us are called to be stewards of our bodies and the physical world around us (Gen. 1:28) and called to give praise back to the Lord as shown in Daniel.

“Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever. Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Everything growing on earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. You springs, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.” Daniel 3:57, 75-78

The Lord values what He has created so much “at every time and in every place, God draws close to man” (CCC 1). He chose to take on our flesh in the gift of the Incarnation, as well as use simple created matter – wine, water and bread to become His Body and Blood during every single Mass. These great gifts are a part of what we are called to ponder during the Lenten season and each time we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, through this we will become stewards of what God has entrusted to us.