Introduction

Just as a fish is unaware of the water it swims in, we are often unaware of the time we live in—not time as in our current epoch, but time itself.
We sometimes forget about the reality of time, or take it for granted.
St. Augustine gets at the mysterious nature of time when he writes, “What then is time?
If no one asks me, I know what it is.”
But in the reflections that follow, we will not be concerned with what time is as much as what time is for and how we ought to spend it as Christians.
Ultimately, if time is finite and precious— and our faith teaches that it is both— then we are called to careful stewardship of it.

Over the course of 12 days, we’ll reflect on our stewardship of time.
The first six days, based largely on the book of Genesis, trace a scriptural approach to the inescapable reality of time and our call to use it well.
The last six days are divided into two sets of three reflections.
The first three will focus on practices for fostering an awareness of time and for strengthening our stewardship of it.
The second three will present inspirations for reframing how we think about our vocations in time.
These reflections see time as a test that reveals to us the depth of our character, our culture, and our joy.

In the first creation account, God speaks creation into existence.
Ten times we encounter the expression, “God said…” (see Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, etc.).
When God speaks man into being, he creates man in his own image and likeness.
Because God made man in his own image, man must cooperate with God in bringing creation to an even greater degree of perfection.
Two passages show this reality clearly.

In Genesis 1, God speaks of human beings and says, “Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26).
Having dominion over creation means that man is called to foster and use creation in accord with God’s wise plan.
It is not a matter of domination, but of continuing God’s plan so that creation will fulfill God’s purposes for it: providing for man and leading him back to God through beauty, prayer, sacrifice, and worship.

In Genesis 2, God brings the animals before Adam and asks him to name them: “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19).
God, who spoke creation and all the animals into existence, gives man the task of continuing the “speech” of creation by naming the animals.
God speaks the animals into existence; man speaks their names into existence. The work begun by God is continued and perfected through man’s agency.

In both cases, scripture makes it clear that man is called to continue God’s work of creation, by exercising wise providence as a participation in God’s own providential wisdom.
Creation is God’s, but he asks us to care for and perfect it.
We call this stewardship.
Stewardship is our human way of imitating and continuing God’s work of creation and providence.
Of course, God does not need our help.
But through stewardship, we are ennobled by God’s invitation.

Reflect in prayer on God’s power and goodness in calling us to share in his wise providence.
Ask the Lord for the grace to see the beauty of this call.