Reflection
Pope
Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si, (“On Care for Our Common Home”)
is all about relationships. In the introductory section, Pope Francis,
following his thirteenth-century namesake, calls the earth our “common home”,
which is like our sister and our mother. But we are damaging this familial
relationship as we harm the environment. In so doing, we are damaging our
relationship with other humans, particularly those least equipped to defend
themselves: those who are poor and our future generations. We are forgetting
our interconnectedness with the earth and with those around and ahead of us who
depend on our good stewardship of the gift of creation.
Given the universal nature of our common home, Pope Francis makes it
clear that the encyclical is addressed to not only members of the Church but is
a vehicle to “enter into dialogue” with all people who are “united by the same
concern” [3, 7].
Ecological
Examen by: Joseph Carver, SJ
- All creation reflects the beauty and
blessing of God’s image. Where was I most aware of this today?
- Can I identify and pin-point how I made a
conscious effort to care for God’s creation during this day?
- What challenges or joys do I experience as
I recall my care for creation?
- How can I repair breaks in my relationship
with creation?
- As I imagine tomorrow, I ask for the grace
to see the Incarnate Christ in the dynamic interconnections of all Creation.