Dear Friends,
Peace of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth!
On May 16-24, the universal Church will celebrate Laudato Si Week in celebration of the 6th anniversary of the publication of the first social encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si: On Care For Our Common Home.
The 16th World Assembly of the Christian Life Community in 2013 in Lebanon made a bold initiative in embracing ecology as one of its apostolic frontiers alongside globalization & poverty, youth and family.
For the entire Ignatian Family, this year's celebration of Laudato Si Week is made special due to the Ignatian Year, the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
The Official page with Laudato Si Week Activities is available at http://laudatosiweek.org. Our Bishops are also sponsoring a number of activities available through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CBCPLaudatoSi.
As we journey with the Church and all those who wish to preserve our common home in celebrating Laudato Si Week with the theme "for we know that things can change", the Formation Institute of CLC in the Philippines will also offer daily reflections and prayer prompts that hope to:
a. Accompany us in the journey to ecological conversion as we celebrate the Ignatian Year, the 5th centenary of the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola;
b. Discern how the Lord may be inviting us to care for our common home;
c. Respond to the call of Laudato Si to a more passionate care for creation; and
d. Work for the common good while taking into heart the social consequences of our individual decisions and becoming responsible towards future generations.
WAY OF PROCEEDING:
Each day the Formation Team will provide short prayer points or videos that, we hope, will enrich your communion with God through creation. We made it as simple as possible to create the space for the "Creator to deal directly with the creature, and the creature directly with his Creator and Lord." (SpEx, Annotation 15)
We propose the following grace for this week-long reflection, prayer and sharing:
Lord Jesus Christ, we beg for the grace of a heightened sensitivity to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and to labor with you in creative ways to uphold their dignity.
We encourage everyone to end the daily prayer and reflection with the Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si found below:
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them,
You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home.
You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished.
Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation.
Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Your Formation Team
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 16 (Sunday): Day 1
We invite you to watch this short video of Pope Francis, inviting us to celebrate with the Church the Laudato Si Week.
Pray and Ponder
1) Go for a walk in your most convenient time. Be sensitive to what nature and God is communicating to you as you feel the breeze, the heat of the sun, as you hear the sound of animals, as you see plants greeting you; also be sensitive to improperly disposed waste, stray animals starving...What feelings are evoked in you. Why these in particular? Is there any invitation from the Lord that is being awakened in you?
2) As you read the newspaper or watch the news, what are the ecological challenges being faced by our country? In your locality?
3) What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us? What can you contribute to make it a reality?
4) Go back to an experience where you enjoyed the gift of nature. Thank the Lord for the gift of Mother Earth then end with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 17 (Monday): Day 2
Scripture Reading (Mt 6:25-29)
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these."
From Laudato Si
We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters. (LS,2)
Pray and Ponder
1) Share something about the place where you live. It might be a positive story about a place of geological importance, natural beauty or that provides space for recreation. We can add details by naming a person linked with preserving or popularizing the spot, or about some event that took place there. We might note any negative stories about how the place becoming overgrown with weeds or where rubbish is dumped. How is the providence of God manifest in this place?
2) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture and Laudato Si readings? To what is God inviting you to do/to become?
3) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 18 (Tuesday): Day 3
Scripture Passage: (Mark 1:15)
Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
From Laudato Si
The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion...Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. (LS, 217)
Pray and Ponder
1) Conversion is a challenging and difficult process that we naturally resist. What resistance to transformation do I experience in myself? In my local or regional community? How might we address these?
2) How might "ecological conversion" best happen? Reflect on your past experiences in your life and in that of your communities. How has change happened? What wisdom can we draw from this, that will help us in the ecological conversion process?
3) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture and Laudato Si readings? To what is God inviting you to do/to become?
4) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 19 (Wednesday): Day 4
Scripture Passage: (Gen 1:31)
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
We invite you to watch this short video as part of your prayer.
Pray and Ponder
1) If nature is like a magnificent book, what are your favourite pages? What aspects or places of nature do you love most?
2) Where in your world do you see people exploiting the goodness of nature without limit?
3) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture and Laudato Si readings? What is God inviting you to do/to become?
4) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 20 (Thursday): Day 5
Scripture Song: (Psalm 8: How Majestic Is Your Name)
From the Spiritual Exercises
1) Consider '... how God dwells in creatures; in the elements, giving them existence; in the plants, giving them life; in the animals, giving them sensation; in human beings, giving them intelligence ...' (SpEx 235)
2) Consider ' ... how God labors and works for me in all the creatures on the face of the earth; that is, he acts in the manner of one who is laboring. For example, he is working in the heavens, elements, plants, fruits, cattle, and all the rest- giving them their existence, conserving them, concurring with their vegetative and sensitive activities, and so forth.' (SpEx 236)
3) In the fourth point, to consider how everything that is good emanates from God in an indivisible manner, '... as the rays come down from the sun, or the rains from their source' (SpEx 237)
Pray and Ponder
1) In what way our experience of nature is integral to God's exuberant outpouring of grace into our lives? How do we recognize this and respond to it?
2) According to Paul Younger, "authentic Ignatian ecological spirituality does not lead to an empty sentimentalism of nature, but to a passionate advocacy of care for creation." How is this expressed in our local, regional and national community?
3) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture and through the excerpts from the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises? To what is God inviting you to do/to become?
4) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 21 (Friday): Day 6
Scripture Passage (Luke 6: 20)
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
From the Letter of St Ignatius:
"Our commitment to follow a poor Lord, quite naturally makes us friends of the poor" (St Ignatius' Letter to the Jesuits in Padua)
From Laudato Si
We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. (LS, 139)
Pray and Ponder
1) What feelings are evoked as I pray over the passages above from the Scripture, from the Letter of Ignatius and from Laudato Si? Why these in particular?
2) What helps me or hinders me in listening to the cry of those who suffer the consequences of the destruction of the natural environment?
3) As a world CLC community we have committed ourselves to labor in creation with those who are pushed to the margins due to disrespect of the dignity of nature. How have we fared in our response as a local and national community? What are the lights and shadows that we see? Do we have a presence (community) in places where the poor fall victim to environmental destruction? If yes, how is the quality of our presence with them?
4) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 22 (Saturday): Day 7
Scripture Passage: (1 Cor 11: 23-26)
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
From Laudato Si
"The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation. The world which came forth from God's hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of the Eucharist, 'creation is projected towards divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards unification with the Creator himself'. Thus, the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation." (LS, 236)
From the CLC General Principles
We aim to become committed Christians in bearing witness to those human and Gospel values within the Church and society, which affect the dignity of the person, the welfare of the family and the integrity of creation. (GP 4,2)
The spirituality of our Community is centered on Christ and on participation in the Paschal Mystery. It draws from the Sacred Scriptures, the liturgy, the doctrinal development of the Church, and the revelation of God's will through the events of our times. (GP 5,1)
Pray and Ponder
1) How have I encountered the Lord in the Eucharist? What have been some moving experiences in my life?
2) How has the Eucharist inspired and motivated concern for the environment? How should Sunday worship impact our weekday witness?
3) How does (or should) our Christian spirituality influence our lifestyles?
4) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture, Laudato Si, and CLC General Principles readings? To what is God inviting you to do/to become?
5) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 23 (Sunday): Day 8
Scripture Passage: (Revelation 21: 1-4)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."
Laudato Si
"The God who created the universe out of nothing can also intervene in this world and overcome every form of evil. Injustice is not invincible." (no. 74)
"Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life." (no. 225)
Pray and Ponder
1) Looking at the scope of ecological destruction and dehumanization, where do I find glimmers of hope? How am I being invited to see hope in the face of these challenges?
2) How can we live out God's vision for healed and renewed relationships with God, self, others and creation?
3) How are you encountering God in your prayer? In the Scripture and Laudato Si readings? To what is God inviting you to do/to become?
4) End with the Prayer for the Anniversary of Laudato Si.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 24 (Monday): Day 9
Spend your time with the Lord using this Ecological Examen by Christine Thomas.
1) Think back to a time when you felt joy, wonder, or gratitude for something in the natural world. What was compelling to you about this experience? Why did you feel this way?
2) Where do you see splendor or beauty in the natural and human environment? Where do you see suffering and environmental injustice?
3) How do your life choices impact the natural and human environment?
4) What troubles you about your engagement with the natural and human environment? What do you regret or wish you could change about your impact on the environment?
5) In what ways might you change your ways of engaging with the environment? How might you contribute to the protection and flourishing of the natural and human environment?
Take time conversing with the Lord or with your community the fruits of your examen.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it.
May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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LAUDATO SI WEEK
May 25 (Tuesday): Day 10
Catechesis "Healing the World": Care of the common home and contemplative dimension
Excerpt from the General Audience of Pope Francis dated September 16, 2020
We must extend this care to our common home: to the earth and to every creature. All forms of life are interconnected (cf. LS 137-138), and our health depends on that of the ecosystems that God created and entrusted to us to care for (cf. Gen 2:15). Abusing them, on the other hand, is a grave sin that damages, harms and sickens (cf. LS, 8; 66). The best antidote against this misuse of our common home is contemplation (cf. LS 85, 214).
What is the antidote against the sickness of not taking care of our common home? It is contemplation. "If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple" (LS, 215). Creatures have a value in themselves and each one "reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 339). This value and this ray of divine light must be discovered and, in order to discover it, we need to be silent; we need to listen; we need to contemplate. Contemplation also heals the soul. Without contemplation, it is easy to fall prey to an unbalanced and arrogant anthropocentrism, the "I" at the centre of everything, which overinflates our role as human beings, positioning us as absolute rulers of all other creatures.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, at the end of his Spiritual Exercises, invites us to carry out "Contemplation to attain love", that is, to consider how God looks at his creatures and to rejoice with them; to discover God's presence in his creatures and, with freedom and grace, to love and care for them.
Contemplation, which leads us to an attitude of care, is not a question of looking at nature from the outside, as if we were not immersed in it. But we are inside nature, we are part of nature. Rather, it is done from within, recognizing ourselves as part of creation, making us protagonists and not mere spectators...And there is one thing we must not forget: those who cannot contemplate nature and creation cannot contemplate people in their true wealth. And those who live to exploit nature end up exploiting people and treating them like slaves. This is a universal law. If you cannot contemplate nature it will be very difficult for you to contemplate people, the beauty of people, your brother, your sister.
Pray and Ponder:
1) How does this message of Pope Francis speak to you? Is there something being 'awakened' or 'ignited' in you? How are you being impelled to act based on his message?
2) Called to become people of the Spiritual Exercises, are we now ready to move from the First Week, to labor with Jesus in upholding the dignity of creation (2nd Week), even experiencing the pain and hardships he underwent in the process of doing our ministry (3rd Week)? Are we ready to become a community who is ready to become witness of the joy and consolation brought about by the Resurrection of the Lord as we minister to those in the margins and peripheries both human and inanimate creatures? Spend time bringing all this to the Lord and be open to his surprises.
Prayer For the Anniversary of Laudato Si
Loving God, Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them, You created us in your image and made us stewards of all your creation, of our common home. You blessed us with the sun, water and bountiful land so that all might be nourished. Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we may attend to your gift of creation. Help us to be conscious that our common home belongs not only to us, but to all future generations, and that it is our responsibility to preserve it. May we help each person secure the food and resources that they need. Be present to those in need in these trying times, especially the poorest and those most at risk of being left behind. Transform our fear, anxiety and feelings of isolation into hope so that we may experience a true conversion of the heart. Help us to show creative solidarity in addressing the consequences of this global pandemic, Make us courageous to embrace the changes that are needed in search of the common good, Now more than ever may we feel that we are all interconnected, in our efforts to lift up the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
