Bible passage: Ezekiel 34:17-19 17. As for you, my flock thus says the Lord God: I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats: 18. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, but must you tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture? When you drink of clear water, must you foul the rest with your feet? 19. And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have fouled with your feet?
LAUDATO SI— 91 & 117 A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings…. Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.…. When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities–to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected. Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of our life begin to crumble…
ARCHBISHOP’S REFLECTION Dear friends, in the last episode which was on the “Cry of the Earth” we reflected on the fact that what we have faced since Covid-19 started could be a warning to us all. We cannot fail to see the connection in the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. Of course, the Rich also Cry. This whole web of connectivity is rooted in the Earth. God owns the whole Earth and its fullness thereof, all we have and are belong to him. He created all things all creatures great and small; He created them bright and beautiful. It is our duty, the duty of all of humanity to restore all creation back to God in very good form. Cut off from God and his creation we are nothing, therefore, we need to give the best of ourselves to one another. So, as we journey deeper into this prayerful
SEASON OF CREATION
let us all together renew our relationship with the Creator, his Creation and with Each Other. The call is for us to enter a time of Hope, Restoration, Rest and Renewed ways of living with creation. The new season of personal and communal ecological conversion is upon us. In a strange way, COVID-19 has opened our eyes and we have come face to face with the integral relationship between “a time of rest for the earth as it were, and the ecological, economic, social and political ways of living”. Clearly, we have not only heard, in recent times, what Pope Francis calls the “Cry of the earth” but seen and felt also the “Cry of the poor”.
Dearly beloved, in continuation of our exercise, let us resolve to embark on individual, family and/or communal ecological actions, such that these sustainable life choices can positively impact creation and the poor and vulnerable around us. *How have you hearkened to the cry of the poor? Keep a diary of actions And may the Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. A prayer for our earth All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, Not pollution and destruction Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace
