Stewardship of the Body: Faith, Health, and Design

Nature's calm.

Many people sense that the modern healthcare system often prioritizes efficiency and profit over prevention, education, and whole-person care. This fragmentation has led me to question how far we’ve moved from approaches that honor the body’s inherent design and capacity for balance. From a Catholic perspective, the human body is not accidental or disposable—it is intentionally created and entrusted to us. Scripture reminds us, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Caring for health, then, becomes an act of stewardship rather than control. Nature-based and functional medicine principles align with this view by seeking to support the body’s systems instead of overriding them. Rooted in research and discernment, these approaches invite a slower, more intentional way of living—one that respects creation, honors God’s design, and encourages responsibility, wisdom, and humility in how we care for ourselves.