We are now well into summer and the beauty of the long summer days invites us to recall the wealth of God’s continued providence and presence in our lives and in the whole of creation. Gerard Manley Hopkins expresses the holiness of creation, of which we are a part, in the following words,
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God,
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
The Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.”
We are privileged to be part of this world that God has created and we can raise our hearts in thankfulness for all that we have been graced with.
Unfortunately, all is not well: we humans have, in our ever increasing mania for consumption, besmirched and besmeared the creation.
Pope Francis has made the care of this world which “God so loved” a hallmark of his papacy since he was elected over two years ago. He tells us that, “if you are a Christian, protecting the environment is part of your identity, not an ideological option. A Christian who does not protect creation, who does not let it grow, is a Christian who does not care about the work of God; that work was born of God from the love of God for us.” He urges us to, “protect creation, make it grow.” (Feb 9th 2015 Homily at morning mass)
We are challenged to read and reflect on the first encyclical of Pope Francis entitled, Laudato Sii because we have a responsibility, “to nurture the earth, to nurture creation, to keep it and make it grow according to its laws. We are (stewards) of creation, not its masters.” (Feb 9th 2015 Homily at morning mass)
May we “walk beautifully upon the earth” in the sense that our lifestyle reflects awareness of the sacredness of the earth, and may we have the courage to give leadership in the area of ecological awareness.
Sr. Catherine Corrigan