It’s Spring.
A season of new life, and of appreciation of the beauty
of nature.
St. Francis of Assisi, of course appreciated nature in a
far more profound way than he is often stereotyped with bird baths and lawn
ornaments. He is called the patron saint of the environment and ecology.
Pope St.
John Paul II, on November 29, 1979, recognized this connection when he issued a papal bull declaring St.
Francis i the patron of ecology and of those who promote ecology.
The Pope
wrote: "Among the holy and admirable men who have revered nature as a
wonderful gift of God to the human race, St Francis of Assisi deserves special
consideration. or he, in a special way, deeply
sensed the universal works of the Creator and, filled with a certain divine
spirit, sang that very beautiful ‘Canticle of the Creatures’"
In that
Canticle – also called “The Canticle of Creation,” St. Francis wrote,
“Be praised, my Lord,
for Sister Earth, our Mother,
who nourishes us and sustains us,
bringing forth fruits and vegetables
of many kinds
and flowers of many colors.”
~ From “The Canticle of Creation”
Following
the publication of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home, the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops created a prayer based on the encyclical:
Prayer
to Care for Our Common Home
Father
of all,
Creator
and ruler of the universe,
You
entrusted your world to us as a gift.
Help
us to care for it and all people,
that
we may live in right relationship—
with You,
with ourselves,
with one another,
and with creation.
Christ
our Lord, both divine and human,
You
lived among us and died for our sins.
Help
us to imitate your love for the human family
by
recognizing that we are all connected
—
to our brothers and sisters around the world,
to those in poverty impacted by
environmental devastation,
and to future generations.
Holy
Spirit, giver of wisdom and love,
You
breathe life in us and guide us.
Help
us to live according to your vision,
stirring
to action the hearts of all—
individuals and families, communities of
faith,
and civil and political leaders.
Triune
God, help us to hear the cry of those in poverty, and the cry of the earth, so
that we may together care for our common home. Amen.
So
what do we do?
The
National Justice, Peace and integrity of Creation
Office has one suggested step.
A Call to Action
Single-use
plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for
plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they
are thrown away or recycled. These include, among other items, grocery bags,
food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, k-cups, cups and cutlery. Think
about your experience and use of single-use plastics.
Pick
just one plastic item: straws, grocery bags, bottles, or cutlery. Replace this
item with a more eco-friendly replacement, like having reusable bags with you
when you grocery shop. Or, keep a set of metal or bamboo cutlery wrapped in a
reusable cloth napkin with you when you go to eat. How about using paper, metal
or silicon straws instead of wasting the plastic ones? Just replace one item at
a time and see how it feels. It may not seem like much, but in the long run, it
will end up making a big difference.
