Caring for God’s Gift of Water
Dear Parishioners,
As we begin September, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, invites us to pray “For the care of water.” This intention is especially fitting as we enter the Season of Creation, from September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, through October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. (Pope Leo XIV, September 2026 Prayer Intention)
Water is one of God’s simplest yet most precious gifts. Pope Leo reminds us that water “quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.” For Christians, it also reminds us of God’s grace and the new life we receive through Baptism.
A Blessing We Must Not Take for Granted
According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, in 2024, about 2.1 billion people, that is, one in four people worldwide lacked safely managed drinking water, while 106 million relied directly on rivers, lakes, and other untreated surface water. (WHO/UNICEF, 2025)
Behind these numbers are families and children who may spend hours searching for water that many of us receive simply by turning on a faucet.
For most of us in America, clean water is an everyday blessing. How easily we can take this blessing for granted! Let us pause and give thanks to God.
“The earth is the LORD’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it.” Psalm 24:1
God has entrusted creation to us as stewards, not owners. Our abundance therefore calls us to gratitude and responsibility.
A Call to Love and Stewardship
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that we have a responsibility toward one another: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” (Matthew 18:15). This includes caring for creation, because waste and pollution can especially affect the poor and vulnerable.
Pope Francis wrote that “access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right.” (Laudato Si’, no. 30) He also reminded us: “Our right to water gives rise to an inseparable duty.” (February 24, 2017)
Pope Leo encourages us to become “pilgrims of the essential” – living more simply, avoiding waste, and caring for the resources God has given us.
This month, let us ask ourselves:
Am I grateful for the blessings God has given me?
Where am I wasting water, food, energy, or other resources?
What one change can I make to become a better steward?
Let us use water wisely, waste less, avoid pollution, and teach our children to see creation as God’s gift. And let us also pray for and support those who lack clean water and other basic necessities.
Jesus tells us: “I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.” (Matthew 25:35) When we care for those who are thirsty and in need, we care for Christ Himself.
As we celebrate the Eucharist, we bring before God the gifts of creation – bread and wine, fruit of the earth and work of human hands. May the Eucharist teach us to receive God’s gifts with thanksgiving, use them responsibly, and share them generously.
May our abundance make us more grateful, not more wasteful; more generous, not more careless. May we waste less, give thanks more, and always remember those who have less.
Let us take to heart Pope Leo XIV’s prayer: “May our care for water be a sign of love for the Creator and a commitment to the lives of the poor.”
May God bless you.