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Week 7: Ecological Spirituality |
Sunday, 4/2 (Palm Sunday) – Ecological Spirituality springs from a profound ecological conversion and helps us to recognize that God is in all things.
Prayer: God of all creation, your goodness and glory shine forth through everything you have made. Through the light of faith, help us to see this world, our common home, not as a resource to dominate and exploit, but as a gift to be cherished by all generations. Prompted by your Spirit, we ask this in the name of Jesus, through whom all creation was made. Amen. (Catholic Charities)
Monday, 4/3 “God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.” (Genesis 1:31) You don’t have to go far to find nature – it is all around us. Take some time to look at the world around you and contemplate the goodness of Creation.
Tuesday, 4/4 St. Francis saw human beings as sisters and brothers to all the elements of Creation. He composed the Canticle of the Creatures to offer praise and give thanks to God. What is your relationship with Creation? Read more about St. Francis and the Canticle of the Creatures here: http://franciscanseculars.com/the-canticle-of-the-creatures/
Wednesday, 4/5 “Everything is a gift” is one of 6 messages on the Earth Cube, a motivational tool that encourages the user to recognize the gifts of Creation and take action to help sustain it. Roll the cube each day, read the message that faces up and find a way to live that message. For more information and to print a template of the cube, go to https://theearthcube.org/
Thursday, 4/6: Holy Thursday Reflection At every Mass we hear the words that Jesus spoke at the Last Supper. He took bread and wine, gifts from Creation, and told the disciples that they were his body and blood. At Mass, we give thanks for the gifts and for the work of our hands that transforms the wheat and grapes into bread and wine. Thus, “the Eucharist joins heaven and Earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation.” (Laudato si’, 236)
Friday, 4/7: Good Friday Reflection Jesus, both divine and human, “entered into the created cosmos, throwing in his lot with it, even to the cross”. (Laudato si’, 99) In his life, Jesus gave us the gift of his teachings. With his death, he gave us the promise of eternal life. Creation, too, is a gift. How do our lives reflect the teachings of Jesus and the responsibility to care for the gift of Creation?
Saturday, 4/8: Holy Saturday Reflection There are times in our lives when we must wait, but it is hard to wait patiently. Holy Saturday is a time of waiting. Embrace the times you must wait. Pause, breathe, and contemplate how you can find the divine in the ordinary.
