Water is a natural resource to be used for our everyday needs.
From the beginning of Creation, God created all kinds of good things, one of them being water.
Water cleanses and heals. It purifies and sanitizes. It refreshes the body physically, and the soul, spiritually.
From the time of our conception, we swam in water in our mother’s womb and grew there in secret for nine months.
We use water for many things in order to live, such as washing, cooking, swimming, doing our laundry, baking, building houses, watering our gardens and so much more. Yet so many people worldwide are starving and thirsty because of a lack of water.
Poor people in rural areas have to walk for miles with their buckets to collect water from a tap in order to do their washing, bathing, cooking and basic everyday necessities.
Some areas are drought stricken because there is no rain. Farmers depend on rain to water their crops so that they can supply shops with vegetables or the factories with wheat sothat it can be processed into flour sothat people can bake bread to survive.
Because of the lack of rain in some areas, we need to be more careful with the use of water and conserve it for living purposes. Every spare drop is precious. We should not waste water. We conserve water by turning off dripping taps, by taking short showers, by washing from a bucket. The grey water is then used for watering the garden.
We should also be careful not to pollute rivers and seas with our rubbish and waste. We should not pollute the rivers and seas with poisonous toxins. By doing so, we are killing the fish and all water creatures.
The earth is our home and we need to respect her. Don’t kill her through selfish motives. Ecological justice should be practiced as a way of life.
Just as water gives life, it also destroys life because of climate change. There are lots of floods and tsunamis. People are killed by drowning. Houses are washed away and all personal possessions are lost because of this crisis.
In a spiritual sense, water is used for Baptism. Baptism is one of seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church which symbolises new birth in Christ by washing away our original sin from our souls. Jesus also says “I am living water”. If we drink from the life-giving water which is Christ Himself, we will never be thirsty again.
Jesus also changed water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana. He also walked on water. Jesus calmed the waves of the sea when there was a storm. All His disciples thought they would drown because of the storm, but Jesus showed His Godly power by calming the waves and wind.
Let Him calm down the waves and wind of your soul when you are afraid in the storm. Let Him refresh your soul with living waters and take control of every situation that burdens you.
In conclusion, let us conserve water, a precious resource. Let us not destroy the earth but enhance it through our care and respect, for it is the proper and just thing to do.
Sr Columbia Fernandez O.P
11 October 2022