Renew Our Hearts to Care
May our care for creation and the poor move us to action.
Lent Reflection
Watch, read and reflect on these human stories.
Reflection on
The Cries of The Earth
Pope Francis introduces an ‘8th work of mercy – care for our common home’ in Sep 1, 2016 (the world prayer day). He explained that “There is a complex interdependence between humans, other creatures and the natural world, so nature must be part of the scope of our practices of mercy.
In today’s world, hunger, violence and poverty cannot be understood apart from the changes and degradation affecting the environment”. According to Pope Francis’s Encyclical letter – Laudato Si, there are two main problems today:
- Climate Change which are causing famine, flood, bush fire, draughts and so forth,
- Throwaway Culture that are turning our earth to an immense pile of filth.
All these are happening because of the harm we human have inflicted on our mother earth by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. We have ignored the words of God “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it” – Genesis 2:15
Caritas Penang is collaborating with Creation Justice Commission Penang, calling all of you to renew our heart to care for God’s creation, to take a step to stop single use plastics. Please be aware that all the waste created by us that is handled by the Municipal council are all ends up in the landfill, which contributes to global warming and contaminate our soil and water.
See
Observe the facts, know the reality.
Judge
Use social analysis and moral values to make judgement about the facts.
Act
Plan a realistic and effective strategy to action.
Step 1: See
A Conversation with Magdeline & Mary Bharathy
Our Holy Father Pope Francis preaches for “change of Heart” in his Encyclical letter of Laudato Si, He is calling for an Ecological Conversion, asking everyone to work together to save our common home, regardless of race and religion.
In calling to mind the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is the patron saint of ecology, we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change (LS 218).
Let us re-examine our lives, and acknowledge the ways in which we have harmed God’s creation through our actions and our failure to act (LS218).
The Earth now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her.
We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. (LS2).
This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor (LS2).
Yet all is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their mental and social conditioning. We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom. (LS 205).
When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them (LS87).
Step 2: Judge
How do biblical values help us to see this reality in a different way?
Reflection based on John 4:5-42
True worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: that is the kind of worshipper the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth. – John 4:23-24
At the beginning of creation, after God had created male and female, He blessed them, saying to them: “Be fruitful; multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, and all the living creatures that move on the earth.” – Genesis 1:28
The truth is that God created this world; the earth, the sea, and the creatures are all our brothers and sisters. As such we are responsible for the care and use of this planet’s resources, recognizing that they belong to God and that He has given us the privilege of enjoying and caring for what He has created.
But the fact is, the world we live in now is undergoing rapid development; many forests are being sacrificed to make houses and commercial use, all for the purpose of “profits” due to Humans Greed. In the 20th Century, due to our hectic lifestyle, we have been so accustoming to “throw-away culture” which we are becoming more and more dependent on instant solutions without pause and thinking about the consequences of our actions.
United Nations consists of 193 state members and is working towards reducing single-use plastic. Many NGOs and government authorities are working on advocacy on the harmful effects of plastic on our lives, and the lives of other creatures through the pollution in the ocean, air and soil, and the earth itself.
Let us pray for God to touch our hearts. God has the power to change our hearts from stone to a heart of flesh. Look around us, pause, and think, what is my feeling when I see the trees when they are given up for development? What is my reaction when I see plastic bags and bottles end up in the ocean or landfills? How did I feel for the people in the world’s poorest countries who suffer from the consequences of our sins? Is my heart numb to what is happening around us?
What can I do to not contribute to the destruction of the world, but rise up to be a good steward of God’s creation? We can’t do it on our own because we are limited, but if we are willing, our limitless God will wield his scepter from His throne in heaven to change our hearts to care.
Do you want a change of heart? Do you want to say sorry to our God and ask His Holy Spirit to give you the power, wisdom, and strength to care for our common home?
When we choose to worship God in spirit and truth, both the sower and reaper can rejoice together. John 4:36
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Ecological Conversion & Eco-Spirituality
a 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. Amen
Step 3: Act
What action are you going to take now?
‘When I was hungry,’ said Jesus, ‘you gave me to eat’ (Matthew 25)”. Pope Francis wants us to add, ‘…and you tried to improve conditions within our common home so that all might be fed.’
Let us repent, renew our heart, pray and take actions using the week 3 Lenten guides – to stop single use plastics.
COLLABORATE WITH US
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