CARE For creation

Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si: Care of our Common Home

The title of Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the environment comes from St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun where he begins his prayer by saying Praise be to you O Lord . Pope Francis calls us to see the earth as a mother who has nourished us and now is in need of our help. He tells us that Global Warming is simply a symptom of a much larger problem, the developed world’s indifference to the destruction of the planet as they pursue short term economic gains. He voices his concerns about pollution, climate change, a lack of clean water, loss of biodiversity, and an overall decline in human life and a breakdown of society. “Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years,” he states. But he shows the greatest clarity when he shows that physical pollution has many social, psychological, economic, and political aspects that are not always visible. He shows that poor are the ones most clearly effected by these environmental changes.  Here is a link to the encyclical.

Laudato Si Song (Pope  Francis Prayer)

Text by Pope Francis I, from the encyclical, Laudato Si Adaptation and music by Hazzan Steve Klaper & Br. Al Mascia, OFM Song and Spirit Institute for Peace, Berkley, MI • SongandSpirit.org Feel free to use this video for educational purposes. Sheet music is available at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ukz4g1nmojt… Lyrics below…

Pope Francis’ 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.”  This is the LINK for the song.

Red Hill Farm

Red Hill Farm, owned by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia, is located on 265 acres of woodlands and meadows, some of the last undeveloped land of Delaware County. The farm is one of the sisters’ many environmental initiatives. Red Hill Farm is a six-acre farm in its 15th year of production. It provides food for 120 members as well as for the Sisters of St. Francis.  The website for the Farm is https://osfphila.org/red-hill-farm/

Recently our local newspaper did a beautiful article about the farm.  There is also a wonderful YouTube clip

God of Wonders — The Documentary (2009) 

Uploaded to YouTube on Jan 11, 2012 (www.eternal-productions.org)   This is a long video (1 hr 24 minutes) but it is well worth your time and energy.  At the end you will be in awe of creation and of the God who made it happen.  This is the write-up on You Tube about it:

Exploring the Wonders of Creation, Conscience, and the Glory of God!
God’s wonders surround us. And these marvels reveal much about our Creator. Through creation we glimpse His power and wisdom, His majesty and care. Creation is speaking to those who will listen…

Join us on a remarkable journey of discovery as we explore the Creator’s handiwork and what His creation reveals about His character. Survey the unimaginable size of the universe and ponder the vast energy present in all matter. Examine the elegant water molecule essential to all life and discover how God combines these molecules to form beautiful and symmetrical snow crystals. Learn about the incredible complexity of DNA and the miraculous workings of the tiny seed. From the design functionality of birds to the incredible transformation of butterflies, these and many other features of creation are highlighted in this visually stunning presentation.
God of Wonders is a breath-taking tour of God’s creation wonders, visible and invisible, and the greatest wonder of all — His redeeming love!

Be Praises My Lord

The title of Laudato Si (Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis’ encyclical letter is drawn from the opening words:  “Praised be to you.”  These words are also the opening words of Francis of Assisi’s wonderful “Canticle of the Creatures”  also known as “Canticle of the Sun.”  One of our talented musicians, Sr. Andrea Likovich created her own version of that canticle.  It is entitled “Be Praised” and  is a beautiful and lyrical composition including all elements of the Canticle.  I added pictures to the song to bring it into the beauty not just of ears but also of our eyes.  This the LINK for the vide.

Laudato Si Action Platform

In May of 2021 the Vatican the Vatican launched the Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP).  It is a call to the universal church taking place over the next seven years invited 7 secctors to take concrete steps toward a sustainable future focused on seven goals with the desire to hold one another accountable to the commitments we make.

The seven sectors are 1) individuals/families, 2)parishes/dioceses, 3) ducational institutions (grade school through Universities), 4) health care centers, 5) the economy (Works and businesses, farms, and co-operatives), 6) Organizations and groups (Lay movements, communities, NGOs, foundations and communictaion centers), and 7) religious ordrs.

The seven goals of the platform are : 1) The response to the Cry of the Earth 2) The response to the Cry of the Poor, 3) The Adoption of Simple Lifestyle, 4) Ecological Education, 5) Ecological Spuirituality;, 6) Ecological Economics, and 7) Community Engagemeent.

What a wonderful thing it would be if each of us placed our small steps on this LSAP and committed to a 7 year action program.  You might want to consider doing this as an individual, with your family, or any other group you desire.  This is a link to the page to enroll and make your commitment:  https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/register/

There are many ideas out there to help you with your plans.  Here is a link to action plan guides for each sector: Laudato Si Action Plan Guides. You Tube and the web have some really great examples as well.  Here are two of my favorite:  1) The Mary Ward Living Laudato Si 7 year action plan.  This is a short YouTube clip which has very concrete actions for each member of the family.  2) The San Diego Diocese has written an extensive 55 page action plan.  You can access it as a pdf file using this San Diego Diocese Link.

As we all share what we might be doing to support our implementation of the encyclical we grow from one another and enhance one another’s actions.  If we do this, we truly have a living document in Laudato Si that can transform the world .  It is essential that we preserve our Common Home for future generations by learning to live with greater simplicity, less greed and a stronger commitment to work for a more just and compassionate world.  Let’s work together to Care for our Common Home.  Laudato Si:  Be Praised My Lord.

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