Lord life and history, before you every storm grows quiet; make your people always rejoice in listening to your voice, and build in hope the serene peace of your kingdom.—Vatican News, Pray with the Synod
Last week, on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, there were two happenings in the Vatican; the first session of the Continental phase of the Synod began, and Pope Francis released Laudato Deum, his environmental follow up to Laudato Sí.
In the exhortation Francis is calling us to think about the “question of human power” because he sees “that our power and the progress we are producing are turning against us.” In thinking about our impact on our planet and what needs to be done, it is hard hitting. So while it’s something we need to address I turn to a section of a homily Father Satish Joseph gave last month. In his homily he recounts a story of how a cab driver had gone out of his way to help a rider leaving her home as she headed to the hospice location where she would spend her last days.
As we think about how we can care for our planet, Father Satish’s observations about a distressing situation can leave us with hope: “Love is an attitude—Love is not just a feeling, it is not just about wishful thinking. It is an attitude, a kind of basic instinct. It is that first thought that comes to mind when I see someone or encounter a situation. If the first thought that emerges is goodness, kindness, and gentleness; if my basic instinct is to care, to serve, to help, to build-up, to encourage, to make things better; that is love. When (Saint) Paul says, 'Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another,' I think he means that our instinctive response to anyone and any situation is healthy, good, positive, selfless, sacrificial, and helpful.” We can apply this to how we interact with our environment putting the Pope’s letter into action.
Showcasing SHA talent: Sophia in 7th shows how beautiful nature is when we take care of it.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
5th Grade Aide