We create our future, by well improving present opportunities, however few and small they are. -
Lewis Howard Latimer
On the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi earlier this month Pope Francis released a new encyclical for the entire Church titled Fratelli e Sorelle Tutti (Brothers and Sisters All). Fr. James Martin, SJ, summed it up nicely when he said, “If the message of Laudato Si was ‘Everything is connected,’ the message of Fratelli e Sorelle Tutti is ‘Everyone is connected.’”
In his third encyclical Francis again draws from his namesake because of the way Francis the Saint lived out the radicalness of the Gospel. Francis the Saint “inspired these pages,” the Pope said, because “he did not wage a war of words aimed at imposing doctrines; he simply spread the love of God.”
We are all connected and we need to remember that “to care for the world in which we live means to care for ourselves, Francis states in this encyclical, “yet we need to think of ourselves more and more as a single family dwelling in a common home. This, he continues, is because “isolation and withdrawal into one’s own interests are never the way to restore hope and bring about renewal. Rather, it is closeness; it is the culture of encounter. Isolation, no; closeness, yes. Culture clash, no; culture of encounter, yes.”
I look forward to the opportunity to share more of Pope Francis’ encyclical, in however small of a way this can be done in this space, as there is much here that can help us to create a better future for all.
Showcasing 7th grade’s talents: For their art project 7th grade found an everyday object to wrap in blue tape (or some other material) to change how we see things. Here is the everyday object Cami covered.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide