Connecting our Lenten sacrifices to Jesus’ call to feed the hungry; this Earth Day, really listen to God’s message of creation
By Geraldine Wagner
Contributing writer
“The earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor” (LS, 2).
Laudato si logo
Pope Francis says in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” that grounded in faith, “truly, much can be done” (LS, 180) about the environmental calamity in which we find ourselves.
Looking at the troubled world around me, where people and the environment suffer in tandem, I was recently motivated to join the Laudato Si’ Movement’s Animators online course. “Animators” are individuals, often Catholics, who engage in dialogue and action on the current environmental crisis. We educate and enable people who then inspire others through our worldwide work called “contemplaction,” contemplation and action merged. Encouraged to re-energize ourselves through prayer and meditation, we create projects that “animate” (involve or influence) as few as five people at a time. We do what we can and build on small successes.
We really listen to God’s message of creation, acknowledging in small weekly worldwide meetings how we have fallen short in our own lives, recommitting ourselves to practicing new ways of living simply. We listen to the cry of the poor, those affected most by climate change, who flee from parched lands that no longer produce or from wars over few resources. As Laudato Si’ “Animators,” we understand that ecological, cultural and social issues are forever interconnected. As Catholics, we commit to the protection of all human life, from womb to tomb, from species to species. We cultivate a “culture of care” for one another, ourselves and for all the living creatures that share a common home with us. Let them live and let them live well for the Common Good!
But is there any Common Good on a polluted planet? How can we help those in need when we can’t offer them a livable world? If we want to serve the world’s Church, we now must recognize how much caring for God’s home — our home — means to us and to others. Some of us practice a reserved “ecological spirituality” of reflection and prayer, and others practice an energetic activism necessary to address the urgent climate crisis. LSM Animators do both.
An honest, rigorous look at the science of climate change can be terrifying and disheartening as we confront the inequality, violence and lack of democracy in our world. But knowledge and faith doesn’t necessarily lead to despair. Steadily, with support from every corner of the earth, we encounter the hope and determination of Christian activists. We must talk to one another, pray together and be open to dialogue. Most of all, we make small changes in our own lives. As Francis says in Laudato Si’, “Everything is connected” (LS, 70). We serve the Church and each other by recognizing how much value there is in caring for God’s creation in our faith tradition. Francis calls on all people to do their part in their homes and parishes. Here are some options:
This Earth Day, April 22, 2023, take the Laudato Si’ pledge for yourself and your family. There is a nobility in living simply, so that others may simply live. https://livelaudatosi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LSPledge-10ways-FAMILIES.pdf
Christ the King Retreat House in Syracuse is offering “Celebrating Creation in all its Glory,” an opportunity to explore eco-spirituality with Sr. Linda Neil, CSJ, 9-3 April 22. http://ctkretreat.com.
“The Letter Film: A Message for Our Earth,” will be shown at 2 p.m. April 15 at the Liverpool Library, https://lpl.libcal.com/event/10316120; at 7 p.m. April 26, Film Screening – The Letter: A Message for Our Earth – ArtRage Gallery. The approximately 90-minute film showing will be followed by time for dialog, discussion and calls to action. John Przepiora and Scott Kushner, members of GreeningUSA’s Board of Directors, along with Theresa May, associate director of the diocesan Office for Child & Family Catechesis, will be on hand to facilitate both discussions.
