Season of Creation (Week 5 Reflection)

Scripture of the Week:

James 5: Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, … our gold and silver have corroded and that corrosion will be a testimony against you.

Mark 9: “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your names, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, “Whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ … will surely not lose their reward.”

Reflection:

Jesus appreciates the people who are working in His name.  There is no competition but collaboration towards a common purpose.  Considering the environmental effects that the various people and countries across the global are being reaped regardless of whether this person belongs to one organization or another, as long as we are doing this for the love of God.  He will surely be increasing their knowledge and faith.   We need each other all around the globe to be able to implement solution in countries with support needed for those who are underdeveloped and not able to fund themselves to fix the devastating effects of natural disasters.

The people will not surely lose reward as "the Lord is gracious and compassionate... The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." (Ps 145:8-9).

Laudato Si this week:

Article 190  There is no value that can be placed upon the environmental protection as it is not based on benefits and costs.  The reality is that some of the companies look at increasing the bottomline and profits more than anything else.  They do not bother to stop and ponder on the cause of environmental disasters and consequences of anthropogenic actions, neglecting the needs of our brothers and sisters especially the underprivileged.  This is not a magical solution to the problem.  What we are facing is not about increasing in productivity and output from businesses but to be mindful of how these all affect the world.

Article 198  The politics and economists are in competition with each other.  Those in the power and interested nothing but financial gain are the usual concerns where the vulnerable people's needs are rejected and the care for environment is ignored.  How can we work towards a supportive society where power and influence are used so that integrity of all are upheld and natural rights are protected?

Article 206  The lifestyle is a way to advocate for the right products that reduces environmental degradation. The consumers have a part in choosing the right matter so that they take the social responsibility as part of their role to care for our common home. 

Article 222  The ability to be happy with little is part of the prophetic and contemplative lifestyle whether we do not buy endlessly without consideration to the limitations on resources.  We become satisfied with the idea of sufficiency and moderation.  Accumulation of things for pleasure and domination will not give us happiness.

Prayer Intentions

We pray that our community and nation will be responsible in caring for the needs of the creation which includes the environment and especially our underprivileged brothers and sisters.

We pray for all so that we can all respect and support the prophets of our time and we also can take a prophetic role in caring for Creation towards a sustainable and contemplative lifestyle that does not violate the dignity of the most vulnerable and those who are not able to speak for themselves.

Let us pray to the Incarnate Word.

All these in Jesus name, Amen.

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Watch the vblog on Sustainable and Advocacies Practices: Sustainable Practices (Laudato Si, Business and Personal)

Weaver's of Love ministry providing free clothing to underpriviledged adults, children, toddlers, diabetes shoes, community garden, soup kithen (not in the photo), and group support.

Learn More:
Laudato si' (24 May 2015) | Francis (vatican.va)  
Homily Helps September 2024 (Cycle B) | Catholic Climate Covenant
Laudato Sí Action Platform Commitment - Presentation Sisters (pbvmunion.org)

Blessings of the Animals @UIW Grotto

 

Season of Creation (Week 4 Reflection)

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle B (September 22, 2024)  Scripture passages:

Wisdom: The wicked say: Let us beset the just one because he is obnoxious to us; …. Let us see whether his words be true; … With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. … Let us condemn him to a shameful death; … God will take care of him.

Psalm 54: The Lord upholds my life. Freely will I offer you sacrifice; I will praise your name, O Lord, for its goodness.

James 3: Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.

Mark 9: Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, that one shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 

Reflection:

This week's Gospel talks about stewardship.  Jesus invites us to be in the service of others.  Jesus exemplifies a life of being the last with unity to God's Divine Will.  He prays, reflects, and take actions. He serves the poorest, abandoned, and washes his apostles' feet.  He teaches the ignorant so everyone can live a life with dignity.

This week's Laudato Si:

Article 90: Living beings have dignity with unique worth while human beings who have responsibility given our ability to care and destroy the species and therefore the planet.   Some have much properties without awareness or intentions of distributing these to those who may be in need while some in dire poverty have no means to get out of their situations, being left at the extraordinary mercy of others.  There are those who see themselves as more superior than others and have no intent of changing habits or contributing to good causes. 

Article 144: The global market has opened the flood of products available to people of different origins and affecting everyone's culture.  This globalization came from making the product available to all given the mobility of the people over a period of time.  While there is a beauty and need to respect each culture for its own right for people to understand themselves from within and without given the symbols and practices that identify them.  The world is cared for with respect with its dynamism and flexibility.

Article 161: The pace of consumption can determine the waste that we produce.  The current unsustainable lifestyle can cause the catastrophic weather and unbearable consequences of these natural disasters.  We can look at our accountability before the people who are reaping the effects of these disastrous climate and natural disastrous ocurrences.

Article 208:  All of us have the ability to care for others by letting go of our self-centeredness and self-absorption.  It is not about neglecting oneself but thinking of others including our natural environment so that our world becomes sustainable. 

Article 212: These sustainability efforts are calling us towards goodness that brings change to the world that is to spread the common goods to all.

Prayer Intentions:

We pray for using our wisdom and faith to reduce our consumption according to our needs and pass it on to our children and others so others can care for our Mother Earth.  We pray to the Lord...

We pray for the well being of all people especially for the children and future generations so that by these actions of defending basic necessities to clean air, water and climate, we will be able to bless them with livable future.

Let us pray to the Incarnate Word.

All these in Jesus name, Amen. 

Learn more:

Laudato si' (24 May 2015) | Francis (vatican.va)  
SoC Advocacy Activity Guidelines 2024.pdf - Google Drive
Events — The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (fossilfueltreaty.org)
Earth Day 2024: Planet vs Plastics | Sustainability Magazine
EN September.pdf - Google Drive
Homily Helps September 2024 (Cycle B) | Catholic Climate Covenant
Sustainability Live Climate Week @ NYC on September 24: Sustainability LIVE: Climate Week NYC - One Day to Go | Sustainability Magazine

Click the image below to enlarge or read the newsletter (with this link).

S.O.S. - Los bosques en Perú están ardiendo

"Señor, tómanos a nosotros con tu poder y tu luz,

para proteger toda vida,

para preparar un futuro mejor,

para que venga tu Reino

de justicia, de paz, de amor y de hermosura."

(Fragmento de la Oración cristiana con la creación,

tomada de la carta encíclica Laudato Si'

del papa Francisco)

Saludos, querida familia CCVI.

Bien sabemos que en el Perú (como en otros países de América Latina) se están registrando una serie de incendios forestales en 22 regiones, ocasionando la muerte de 15 personas y más de 1 876 damnificados.

Las causas aún son materia de investigación, sin embargo, debemos recordar que a inicios de este año el Estado Peruano promulgó la Ley 31973, también denominada LEY ANTIFORESTAL, la cual promueve la deforestación y desconoce derechos de las comunidades indígenas. Hay mucho interés en que estas zonas naturales y protegidas sean reducidas a cenizas para facilitar el trabajo de empresas transnacionales y extractivistas. Incluso ya se conoce que muchas de estas áreas afectadas ya están concesionadas (ya tienen dueño).

Los peruanos y peruanas ya hemos iniciado acciones de protestas en varias ciudades. Tanto en Lima con iniciativas informativas y de denuncia; en Huaraz con la participación actividades de campesinos y jóvenes; así como en Chimbote con un plantón para concientizar a la población en la ciudad (jueves 19).

Otra acción a nivel nacional es la recolección de firmas para unir nuestras voces en contra de la Ley Antiforestal (derogarla) y hacer un llamada al Gobierno Central y a los Gobiernos Regionales en tomar en serio esta situación y articular con la sociedad para mitigar y prevenir incendios forestales.

➡️ Llena el formulario para apoyar con tu firma AQUÍ ⬅️

Ante esta grave situación que afecta nuestra ecología y vida, l@s invito a acompañarnos con sus oraciones e intenciones para iluminar y exigir a nuestras autoridades en atender integralmente este problema. Así también por las muchas familias afectadas. Y, de manera especial, por quienes se encuentran trabajando por controlar y extinguir el fuego (bomberos, voluntarios).

Es importante seguir manteniéndonos informad@s y ver de qué otras formas podemos seguir apoyando.

Agradezco su tiempo y esfuerzo en cada comunidad donde se encuentran, por hacer presencia viva del Evangelio y el amor de Dios en estos desafiantes contextos.

Muchas gracias.

Dony Avalos Avila

JPIC-CCVI Perú

Coordinador

Season of Creation (Week 3 Reflection)

Faith and Works

James 2: What good is it if someone says he has faith but does not have works? … If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?

It can be easy to say that we have faith or to say we have faith when everything is going well.  However, when there are things that seemingly hard, dark, and unclear, that is when the faith can really show.  The faith, even though unseen and seems no clarity on where the road is going or what the road entails, you have the best discernment and know that by faith God is helping us to go through what could be impossible, and what could be something that has not been done or has not been overcome in the past.  We are called to reflect on our lifestyle, habits and our neighborhood's whereabout.  How is your lifestyle addressing the needs of the ecology and society?

This Week's Laudato Si:

Article 158 (highlight): It is our poorest brothers and sisters whose basic human rights and dignity are not mostly being met, or not being met.  It is situation like this upon which we are invited to ponder on where our solidarity is with humanity and our love for our Creator to make the common goods available for all (1 Cor. 12:7-12, Rm 8:28).  In the present condition of global society where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good as it is also mentioned in Evangelii Gaudium.  The people can find effective means of making these rights accessible to all. 

Article 201 (highlight): With the believers in the world, we can be more effective in having a healthy dialogue in tackling the environmental issues.  The cooperation of people from different sciences to address the demands of the ecological crisis is needed in facing deliberate steps and take actions with "patience, self-discipline, and generosity."

Article 205 (highlight): As human beings, we can still take appropriate actions that people can still long for  good, true and beautiful reaching out to make dignity possible for all.

Article 208 (highlight): In order to identify the value of every parts of creation, we can be concerned by the needs of the others by taking concrete actions.  Every actions we take creates an impact to the world around us if we only surpass the individual mindset that destroys our concern for others.

Article (211 highlight): Ecological citizenship helps us to reflect on what we can do in order to be transformed and have  renewed mind towards correcting bad habits, educating ourselves on what can be done.  Some of the practical examples given in this articles are: avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. 

Prayers for the Faithful

1. To help care for our common home by caring for our community and neighborhood.  

2. To change our lifestyle so that we can decrease or stop the habits that can only harm the world and live on what is truly life-giving lifestyles.

What products in your grocery list contain plastic containers?  

Which are plastic-neutral?  

Which products have less carbon footprint?  

Are you able to make some of the products from your home?    

Do you use disposable products (utensils, plates, papers, napkins) in your meals and events?

Instead of going into the gym that consumes electricity, why not enjoy nature with fresh air if you have still have the luxury of fresh air in your neighborhood?

Read More:

Homily Helps September 2024 (Cycle B) | Catholic Climate Covenant

Laudato si' (24 May 2015) | Francis (vatican.va)

Laudato Si - Simplify your Life

Resources - Laudato Si' Action Platform (laudatosiactionplatform.org)

laudato-si-discussion-guide.pdf (usccb.org)