ACBC Reflection for Laudato Si’ Week – Day Seven

22 May 2022
Image: ACBC/Supplied

 

Laudato Si’ Week, a celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ and a call to action for Catholics around the world, is being celebrated 16-24 May, 2022.

Throughout Laudato Si’ Week, you and your community are encouraged to join us in reflecting and acting to bring Laudato Si’ to life. 


Goal 6 – Ecological Spirituality

 

From the Encyclical

“The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face. The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things.” Laudato Si’ n.233.

 

For Reflection

When we use the word creation, rather than environment, or nature, we are acknowledging the Creator. For Christians, our ‘responsibility within creation’ and our ‘duty towards nature and the Creator’ are an essential part of our faith (LS n 64).

Laudato Si’ culminates in a call to an ecological spirituality that ‘can motivate us to a more passionate concern for the protection of our world’ (LS n 216). It invites us to understand our heritage of Christian spirituality in a way that does not fall into the trap of viewing the life of the spirit as something separate from our bodies, nature, and the world. In fact, we live our spirituality in and with our bodies and in communion with all of God’s creation. We can discover God in all things.

Where and when have you experienced a sense of connection with God in creation? What was it like? Do you have a favourite place to pray outdoors? How do you think an ecological spirituality might be better reflected in our prayer and liturgy?

When he wrote Laudato Si’ Pope Francis wanted to speak to every person living on the planet. Now we are moving toward the feast of Pentecost when people gathered from across the known world and yet were able to understand one another. Let us ask the Holy Spirit today to renew the face of the earth.

With Pope Francis, we can be confident that ‘the Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge’ (LS n 80).

 

Prayer

May the peoples praise you, O God: May all the peoples praise you!

In the spirit of Laudato Si’, may we: repent as well as rejoice, sigh as well as sing,

learn from new voices in an ancient land, respect all that is different and diverse,

love connection and community, enjoy participation and possibility,

search both inner and outer landscapes for your Spirit.

May the peoples praise you, O God:

May all the peoples praise you!

Laudato Si’ mi Signore!

Amen.

 

Action

Head: Read and reflect on “Who Are We Before God and in Creation” by Dr Sandie Cornish https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/2020/09/04/who-are-we-before-god-and-in-creation/

Heart: Reflect on your day using an ecological examen like this one http://www.ecologicalexamen.org

Hands: Reach out to another Christian community to plan and co-host an event to celebrate the Season of Creation incorporating elements of the natural world.

In the Diocese of Parramatta, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta invites all parishes, schools, organisations and families to respond to his invitation to take action on the care of our common home. See the video about this project and find out more here. 

With thanks to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace.

 

Read Daily
* indicates required

RELATED STORIES