An ‘A – Z’ guide for Laudato Si’ as Gaeilge
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Laudato Si., Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor.
Archbishop Farrell’s Pastoral Letter: The Cry of the Earth—The Cry of the Poor At this time everyone on our planet is confronted with two interconnected crises: the coronavirus pandemic and the ecological crisis. Both define our age. Both require urgent action. But it is the reality of climate change that is ‘humanity’s defining challenge.’ COP26 … Read more
Laudato Si’ – awareness raising while ‘social distancing’
Strength and stability are said to be among the qualities to celebrate at a fifth or ‘wood’ anniversary. In designating 2020 as the beginning of a ‘multi-year Laudato Si’ roll-out plan’, Pope Francis invites us to strengthen and stabilise our faith in a new way. The subtitle ‘on care for our common home’, is not what ... Read more
Laudato Si’ week – 16-24th 2020
Dear Reader Laudato Si’ week, May 16 -24th, is fast approaching. It is an opportune time for us, during ‘social distancing’, to revisit Laudato Si’ on its 5th anniversary. In the encyclical, Pope Francis urges us to hear the cry of the poor, the cry of the earth and to respond to the ecological crisis. ... Read more
Time to Remember and Implement Laudato Si’ – on its 5th anniversary
The earth our common home is suffering. Misuse, often through lack of reverence and thought, has impelled us to seek profit rather than to care for God’s earth - our most precious gift. We have taken our beautiful home for granted which in the words of Pope Francis is ‘looking more and more like an ... Read more
Befriend ‘Social Distancing’ with Pope Francis
On May 24th, five years ago Pope Francis wrote a letter- Laudato Si’ - encouraging us to take care of our common home– the earth. Today, we in Northern Ireland like many people in the world are coping with the Covid -19 pandemic. We are at home because of the virus and many of our ... Read more
‘Showing care for others’ with Pope Francis
In Laudato Si’ – the letter that written by Pope Francis – the Pope asks us to show care for others – to recognise that we need one another and that we all need to encourage a ‘culture of care’. Pope Francis calls this ‘social love’. Even making small gestures to show our thanks to ... Read more
Befriending planet earth with Pope Francis
May 2020 will be remembered for Coved-19 and its impact on our community. The ‘stay at home’ rule means that we have time to notice more, to appreciate more and this includes nature and our surroundings. In Laudato Si’ Pope Francis suggests that if we really see the beauty in nature then we will do ... Read more
Read More
Read More – Laudato Si’ Week May 16-24th 2020 ‘May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope’ (Paragraph 244) 2020 the year to stop and make us think http://youtu.be/Nw5KQMXDiM4 2. We have unfortunately allowed plastic, in particular, to come into our lives, ‘almost unnoticed, like a ... Read more
God’s Creation, Man’s Destruction
God has given us a beautiful world of mountains and lakes, waterfalls and other incredible sights of breath-taking sceneries day and night. But nowadays in some parts of the world instead of northern lights and aurora borealis that people enjoy in the middle of darkness, we see bombs or missiles light up the sky. Instead of … Read more
Christian spirituality
“Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb … Read more
All Creatures of the Earth, Bless the Lord
God speaks to us through events, situations, nature and people. Pope Francis, in LAUDATO SI, chapter 6 about ecological education and spirituality, is inviting us to care for our common home and he has given us important insights. We need to have awareness, changing our way of living and thinking how to protect our common … Read more
The Gaze of Jesus
The Gaze of Jesus When I first read Laudato Si, my heart anchored within the section, “The Gaze of Jesus”. Perhaps this is because I, too, find myself ‘gazing’ more than at other moments in my life. Maybe I am coming to see the realities I face within a light not realized before, and I … Read more
One World, One Home, One Family
One World, One Home, One Family Praise be to you O Lord as we attempt with all our sisters and brothers to continue to appreciate the beauty of your creation and preserve it for all those who come after us. We are not indifferent to our families, sisters and brothers, whether in our immediate family … Read more
Nature is not a place to visit, it is home
“Nature is not a place to visit, it is home” (Environmental protection policy) The more we treat and protect our common home not only benefits us but we believe that someone else, future generations, will also gain great benefit. When we look deep into nature we understand that it is free gift to us human … Read more
Mother Nature
It helps now and then to step back and have a long view……………. “Pointing to the cracks in the planet that we inhabit as well as the human causes of environmental degradation.” Laudato Si (Page 92) “Although this reality has shown the need for change of direction,” Laudato Si (Page 92) we assume it is … Read more
Reflection
The psalms frequently exhort us to praise God the Creator “for his steadfast love endures forever”. They also invite other creatures to join us in this praise: “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him all you shining stars! Laudato Si #72 When I worked in Ethiopia there was a beautiful book portraying, through photos, the … Read more
Our Vulnerable World
“War always does grave harm to the environment and to the cultural riches of the people, risks which are magnified when one considers nuclear arms and biological weapons” Laudato Si’ 56-57 I am writing this reflection as we enter Holy Week. It is also a week after the horrendous suffering inflicted on the people of … Read more
Living Laudato Si
The encyclical Laudato Si was publicized for everyone on the planet on June 18, 2016. The title means “Praise be to You,” invites everyone to care for our Common Home that God has given us. More than reading Laudato Si we are called to live Laudato Si. In Our Family: “In the family we first … Read more
Water is Life
Water is precious, essential for our life, nature, animals. and all of God’s creation. Let us give thanks to God for water so precious and scarce for many. Each drop so small but is life giving for all. Our life began in the life-giving waters of our mother’s womb. Draw us deeper Jesus into the … Read more
The Garden of the World
St. Francis faithful to the Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. Laudato Si, paragraph 12 One rainy evening after a long dry spell I was walking around the house under the shelter of the … Read more
Resurrection Hope
The waters of the ocean are polluted with micro beads, plastic bags and other rubbish from our excess. In more recent days these same waters are choked with the bodies of our brothers and sisters fleeing horrendous violence. The air that we breathe is hazardous to our health. Mountains and beaches, forests and fields, once … Read more
Climate Change
When I think of the beautiful scenery which I have been privileged to see, I am filled with a sense of wonder and joy. With gratitude I ask the Lord to watch over His creatures despite our negligence. But I can’t stop thinking, now more than ever, how long we human beings will be able … Read more
Plant a Tree!
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004, Pro. Wangari Mathai, has left Kenya and indeed the whole world an example of how to grow towards sustainable development, democracy, and peace. Her idea gave birth to the Green Belt movement that has led to planting of millions of trees in Kenya and conservation of … Read more
Our Common Home
Earlier this year the sisters, students and priests of the Vincentian Family in Chanzo and De Paul, inspired by Laudato Si, decided to clean and clear the “De Paul” river as a sign and symbol of our concern for Mother Earth. Mother Earth who “sustains and governs us”. The encyclical also reminds us that the … Read more
A Healthy Relationship with Creation
The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all, a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all. If we do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of … Read more
The Garden of the World
St. Francis faithful to the Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. Laudato Si, paragraph 12 One rainy evening after a long dry spell I was walking around the house under the shelter of the … Read more