Tenth Anniversary of Laudato Si’

On May 24th, 2015 Pope Francis signed Laudato Si’, the papal letter that called the world’s attention to the increasingly fragile state of Mother Earth, our common home.  Ten years later, the Pope’s words appear evermore true and continue to ring in our ears: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” (LS, 160)

Pope Francis says that ,’The poor communities around the world are already the early and disproportionate victims of the current ecological degradation and we cannot remain indifferent any longer to the increasingly desperate “cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”’ (LS, 49).

Click here to see our previous Laudato Si’ Initiatives

In a desire to reconcile tradition and today, science and Marian devotion, may these rosary meditations serve as an inspiration to respond to the call of Pope Francis who, in Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti, invites us to a profound examination of conscience and to an ecological and social conversion. An Examination of conscience is an act of the will: the decision to look reality in the face using scientific facts, data, figures, and observations. Conversion, on the other hand, requires a change of outlook and way of thinking, a healing of blindness. For us Christians, the healer and saviour is Christ; the remedy is the Gospel.The one who leads to Christ is the Virgin Mary. As we know, the Rosary proposes that we contemplate, through Mary’s eyes, the great events in the life of Jesus and/or his mother: the famous twenty mysteries, grouped by five into Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious. This meditation proposes a double contemplation, focusing on the lives of Mary and Jesus and then broadening the vision to include the whole of Creation, which ‘we know has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth, right up to the present time’. (Romans 8:22), with, it seems in recent times, an acceleration in the pace of the contractions.  Each of the mysteries is offered as a key to DISCOVERING THE LIVING, SUFFERING AND SALVATION CHRIST IN THE CREATED.

Joyful Mysteries with Introduction
Glorious Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Prayer of Ecological Consecration to Mary, Mother and Queen of Creation
To Pray the Rosary 

 

Palm Sunday

“This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs,”~
~Pope Francis

This holds true for our relationships with people as well as our relationship with creation.  For all of us, may this Season of Lent have been an opportunity for us to look at both our spiritual and our ecological lives with fresh eyes.

May we deepen our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the redeemer of the whole cosmos, of all creatures, of all creation.

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor

5th Sunday of Lent 

The 5th Sunday of Lent invites us to reflect on God’s promises, our journey in faith, and the call to forgiveness and change. 

In the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus’s words, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and do not sin again,” demonstrate his compassion and his call for repentance and transformation.  This resonates with the themes of Laudato Si’, which calls for a shift from a culture of exploitation and indifference, to one of care and responsibility for our common home.

Just as the scribes and Pharisees were blinded by their own sin, we are often blind to the damage we inflict on the environment and on one another.  Laudato Si’ urges us to recognize our interconnectedness and to act with responsibility and compassion, just as Jesus did with the woman.

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor.

4th Sunday of Lent

The 4th Sunday of Lent focuses on God’s mercy, as seen in the parable of the prodigal son. This well-known scripture story is a story of love, as is Laudato Si’! Pope Francis writes, ‘Our entire universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us.  Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.’ (LS 84)

Through Laudato Si’, Pope Francis gives us hope that our actions matter! ‘The conscious decisions that we make each day, have the ability to break the chain of destruction, as we work towards a sustainable future.’ (LS 231)

Let us not be like the eldest son in the scripture story, feeling entitled and thinking that somehow, we’ve ‘earned’ our way of life.  Life is a gift, so let each of us appreciate and open our eyes to we have been given.  When you take that deep breath or drink that cold glass of clean water – give thanks to God for Mother Earth and all that we enjoy.  Work every day to honour what God has given us and look for ways to share that bounty with those who genuinely need it.

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor.

3rd Sunday of Lent

On the 3rd Sunday of Lent, the scriptures express God’s desire for us to know how close God is to us and they speak to the necessity for us to act in ways consistent with God’s vision.  Please consider:

  • God communicates to us through nature. How has God revealed beauty and wonder to you through nature?

  • Caring for each other and caring for the earth are intimately bound together, so closely linked. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the global community and these effects are borne by the world’s most vulnerable people.

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor. 

2nd Sunday of Lent

On the 2nd Sunday of Lent, we encourage you to reflect on the transfiguration of Jesus and how it relates to our lives.  Remember, the Transfiguration is a vision and a story of hope!  Please consider:

  • How can we search for the face of God?

  • How can we be more aware of the natural world around us?

  • How can we care for God’s amazing gift of creation?

  • How can we take actions to so that others can see that we care for

    Mother Earth, Our Common Home?

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth,
the cry of the poor.

1st Sunday of Lent

As we enter into the season of Lent, we invite all parishioners to reflect on the miracle of God’s creation and to think about what we can do as a church community, and as individuals, to honour and respect Creation.

The theme for Lent 2025 is actually, ‘Journey together in hope’, inspired by Jubilee 2025.  As we walk together through this life, let us:

  • Consume with care and reduce what we waste.

  • Be gentle and respectful with nature and with each other.

  • Pray the Rosary for Care of Creation. (It is beautiful!)

  • As spring approaches, spend each Sunday out in nature and feel that sun!

  • Return to year-round meatless Fridays – good for the soul and also good for the planet!

Let us join Pope Francis and heed the cry of the earth, the cry of the poor.