Earth Day: The Whole Creation Awaits

The whole of creation is turned toward this mystery in man, this is interior becoming, struggling and unfolding. It is a waiting, and the attention of this waiting is not directed immediately toward God, but toward man, for the way of creatures to God goes through man. Their hearts and heads should be in him; he should lead them to God, and in him all creation should be blessed. But he turned away from God and dragged creatures with him. So the curse struck them also, together with him, kept them at a distance from God, subjected them to transitoriness and vanity brought it about that there was no longer an answer to the questions whence, whither, why, for what purpose. Nature itself was not guilty, for it cannot have guilt of its own. It exists for the sake of man and receives its meaning from him; hence it was from him that the disaster came upon it. And now it waits that the blessing of salvation shall come about in him, and that it may share therein through him. From all sides a silent, anxious expectation is directed toward man.

Romano Guardini, The Word of God on Faith, Hope and Charity