We live surrounded by things we don’t need. We’ve become accustomed to buying and spending without restraint, and that’s slowly draining us from within. Faced with this selfish lifestyle, learning to live with only the essentials isn’t just an eco-friendly trend, but a necessity for caring for the planet and helping those less fortunate.

Taking as our guide  Pope Leo XIV’s message for this month of September  on the care of water, we see a sad reality: while in rich countries we waste water and treat resources as if they were commodities to be bought and sold, millions of people around the world suffer terrible scarcity, walking miles just to get a little clean water or getting sick from lack of it.

The trap of accumulating the superfluous

Today, we are constantly pressured to buy more and more things we don’t really need. This creates a culture where we throw away what no longer shines or is no longer useful, forgetting what truly matters. Water, for example, a gift from God and a right for all, has been treated as if it were simply a commodity.

Therefore, moderation in our daily lives is an act of freedom. Practicing it means learning to live with what is necessary and letting go of what is superfluous, discovering the joy of simplicity. And this moderation should not be limited to water alone, but should extend to all consumer goods: clothing, energy, food, and the technology we use every day.

Moderation in all our consumption

We often think that saving water or using less energy are small, insignificant gestures. However, when we decide to be more frugal in everything we consume—buying wisely, avoiding wasting food, reusing what we have, and not giving in to the urge to accumulate—we are changing our way of being in the world.

Every time we give up what is superfluous, we are showing that we care about others. Too many people on the planet suffer because others consume more than they need. Living simply is the best way to be just and to care for the Earth that God has given us all.

The testimony of young people: learning the joy of simplicity

A clear example of this transformation can be seen in those young people who, during these holidays, have decided to travel to countries in the so-called Third World to collaborate on missions and solidarity projects. There they discover a moving reality: in communities that lack many of the comforts we are accustomed to in the West, there is an overflowing joy and a truly commendable mutual support.

These young men learn to live with what they have—whether much or little—and return home with backpacks full of experiences that touch their hearts. They understand then that simplicity is not a sad lack or stinginess, but a luminous manifestation of freedom and love for God, which liberates us from being slaves to material whims.

A cry that reaches the heart of God

Our daily struggle to be sober is not just a human effort; it has great spiritual value. When a Christian decides to forgo something unnecessary in order to share it or to care for Creation, that small sacrifice becomes a living prayer that reaches God.

It is a silent but powerful cry asking God to help us change course, so that water and basic necessities reach every corner of the planet. God hears those who suffer thirst and blesses those who choose to live simply so that others may prosper.

“May your Spirit transform us into pilgrims of what is essential, capable of living with moderation, denouncing waste and pollution, defending the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear, without inequality.” — Prayer of the Holy Father Leo XIV (September)

Educating in generosity and care

All of this begins at home and with the education of new generations. It is necessary to teach children and young people to value what they have, to avoid waste, and to understand that the Earth’s resources are a gift to be shared, not loot to be hoarded. If we educate them in moderation, we teach them to see others as brothers and sisters, not as rivals.

Conclusion: Guardians of life and creation

Moving towards moderation in our consumption of water and all goods is the best way to demonstrate that we are faithful stewards of Creation. By rejecting the superfluous and embracing a simple life, we join our hands on earth with our prayer to heaven, so that no one on this planet will lack the essentials for life.

“Be content with what is enough to live a sober and temperate life” (Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer,  The Way , no. 631)