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Talk Story: Water, a Gift Without Borders

September 8, 2026

(Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock.com)

From the Office for Social Ministry

“Lord of Life, you have given us the gift of water, source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope. It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.”
— Pope Leo XIV’s September 2026 Prayer Intention Video

Surrounded by the vast blue Pacific and the healing waters of Hawaiʻi, we are constantly reminded of the abundance of water in our midst. Morning and evening tropical rains and windward mauka showers are so familiar that we can easily take these quenching gifts for granted. That makes September an especially meaningful time to reflect on this precious resource.

In observance of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV invites us to celebrate the Season of Creation, from September 1 through October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology and the environment. This month, the Holy Father asks us to pray “for the care of water…that there be a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.”

Water also holds deep meaning in our Christian faith. In the Gospel, Jesus tells all: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37–38) and “When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.” (Matthew 25:35) In his September 2026 prayer video, Pope Leo asks us to imagine returning from a long walk on a hot day and finally taking a sip of cool water. We immediately understand the relief. The Pope also calls us to recognize water as a gift that carries moral responsibility. He reminds us that one in four people worldwide still lacks access to safe drinking water.

Today there are many examples of rivers and lakes where once-flowing waters are now running dry. Around the world, diminishing water supplies are a reality for many people on the move. That connection is especially meaningful because in September the Catholic Church also observes the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. For millions of displaced people, access to drinking water is a matter of survival. Families fleeing war, drought, floods, hurricanes and other disasters may travel great distances without reliable access to safe water. Environmental destruction and extractive industries can also displace communities and threaten resources upon which families have depended for generations.

Pope Leo’s prayer therefore connects care for creation with care for people, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. “Forgive us for turning water into a commodity,” he prays, “forgetting that it is a universal gift, a right without borders, meant for all your children.”

Here at home, recent storms left people across Hawaiʻi without electricity and reliable access to drinking water. Communities quickly mobilized to care for their neighbors. In Kaʻū on Hawaiʻi Island, within 24 hours of Hurricane Lala, HOPE Services Hawaiʻi joined other community organizations in accompanying a convoy of five flatbed trucks carrying drinking water to people severely affected in Pāhala and Nāʻālehu. HOPE Services Hawaiʻi also coordinated with other organizations connected with the Diocese of Honolulu, including the Order of St. Lazarus, Knights of Columbus and EPIC Ministry, to distribute other urgently needed supplies to Holy Rosary Parish in Pāhala and Sacred Heart Parish in Nāʻālehu.

This is part of what Pope Leo means when he asks the Holy Spirit to make us “pilgrims of the essential.” In an emergency, we suddenly remember what is essential: water, food, shelter, electricity, medicine—and people who care. HOPE Services Hawaiʻi and its partners continue to support community volunteer hubs where residents can obtain drinking water and other assistance for relief and recovery. The Diocese of Honolulu is coordinating fundraising for storm victims through the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation.

These efforts demonstrate something profound about living our Christian faith through prayer in action as one ohana, the Body of Christ.At Baptism, water becomes the visible sign of God’s grace washing over us. We enter not simply into an individual relationship with Christ, but into a family—the Body of Christ. Gratitude becomes generosity. Care for creation becomes care for our neighbor. By living our faith through prayer in action, every glass of water we drink can become a small prayer of gratitude—and a reminder of someone who does not have one. Every storm, migrant journey and displaced family can remind us that we belong to one ohana, making sure no one goes thirsty or is left behind.

Pope Leo concludes his September prayer:

“May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential, able to live with simplicity, denouncing waste and pollution, defending the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without inequality. May our care for water be a sign of love for the Creator and a commitment to the lives of the poor, educating new generations to value and protect the Earth’s resources.”

May we receive the gift of water with gratitude, protect it with care, share it with generosity—and allow the living water of Christ to flow through us in service with one another as one ohana.

For the full video and text of Pope Leo XIV’s monthly prayer intention, please visit www.popesprayer.va.

To support the Diocese of Honolulu’s Hawaiʻi Storm Relief and Recovery Fund, please visit www.hawaiicatholiccommunityfoundation.org/support-flood-relief-efforts/.