The Gospel passage, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and follows me cannot be my disciple” probably brings many images and thoughts to mind.
But when Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., reflected on its meaning, he offered a fresh perspective in saying, “Caring for creation is a cross.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Laudato Si documents marks 10 years
“It demands sacrifice. It asks us to renounce convenience, consumerism and complacency. It requires us to count the cost, not merely of building a tower, but of building a future rooted in justice, sustainability and love,” Bishop O’Connell said.
Bishop O’Connell shared his thoughts during the Sept. 6 Mass he celebrated in St. Anselm Church, Tinton Falls, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.
Glimmers of Hope
The Bishop continued, “To follow Christ today means to carry the cross of creation. It means standing with the poor. It means protecting our common home. It means living simply and acting boldly.”
Calling Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical on the environment a gift he had given to the Church, and tying its vision with the current Jubilee Year of Hope, Bishop O’Connell said, “Today, we honor that gift, not just with gratitude, but with renewed urgency.”
Persons who are active in caring for creation and environmental ministries in their parishes from around the Diocese participate in an outdoor Pilgrimage Hope for Creation Prayer Walk on the grounds of St. Anselm Parish, an activity designed to raise awareness as well as to reflect on environmental concerns. Here a group spends time in prayer and reflection at the Mary herb garden. The pilgrimage moved indoors when it started to rain. Mary Stadnyk photo
Noting that climate change, deforestation, pollution and ecological loss are not merely scientific or political issues, but are spiritual issues, the Bishop said, adding, “They are a summons to faith, a call to hope. The earth is not our possession. It is our brother, our sister, our home and hour hope.”
While the faithful have meditated on hope during the Jubilee Year, Bishop O’Connell exhorted the congregation to remember that “hope is not passive. It is active. It inspires a love that is genuine expressed through concrete action.”
Offering action steps that people should take individually and as a Church to address environmental concerns, Bishop O’Connell said, “We must: challenge patterns of consumption that harm creation; advocate for policies that protect the vulnerable, and teach future generations to cherish and safeguard the earth.”
However, he added, “the good news is that we are not alone. God walks with us, offering wisdom, strength and grace.”
“As we celebrate this anniversary, let us renew our commitment to a spirituality of wonder, gratitude and responsibility,” Bishop O’Connell said. “May our lives reflect the love of Christ, a love that embraces all living creatures and seeks the flourishing of every part of God’s creation.”
Movers and Shakers
Faithful from around the Diocese who are active in caring for creation and environmental ministries in their parishes joined the St. Anselm community for the celebration. Earlier in the afternoon, they had participated in a Pilgrimage Hope for Creation Prayer Walk that was planned by St. Anselm parish council and ministries including the social justice and Care for Creation committees and was designed to raise awareness as well as to reflect on environmental concerns.
The original outdoor pilgrimage moved indoors due to inclement weather and took pilgrims on virtual experience of the parish grounds where they visited various prayer stations such as the pollinator garden and beehives, the water fountains, the St. Francis lavender garden, the upper food garden, the Mary herb garden, the compost bins and the woods. At each prayer station, participants listened to a reading from either Scripture or Laudato Si’, had time for silent reflection and journaling.
For Elizabeth Domigan, who is part of the Creation Care Team in St. Anselm and active with the social justice ministry, the day was a time for her to reflect on how her commitment to caring for creation has evolved and how she might inspire others to learn more about it too.
“Many parishioners really know little about what to do about the tragic events brought about by climate change, and many are still not sure that climate change is something we as a Church need to address,” she said.
She added that Bishop O’Connell’s clear comments about the roles that parishes should have in caring for creation and addressing justice “was a very welcome endorsement of our work here at St. Anselm and may encourage more to actively join our work.”
Maryrose Little said that caring for creation had always been on her radar from a secular perspective and her concerns about environmental issues heightened after she became a parent. But her Catholic perspective surfaced after joining the Care for Creation team at St. Anselm and reading Laudato Si’ for the first time.
“I was absolutely stunned by this document which very clearly connects the dots between caring for the earth and caring for each other,” she said, adding, “It is the poor and marginalized who are most dramatically affected by the effects of climate change.”
“Those who are least responsible for the human activities that drive climate change are the most profoundly affected by it,” Little said. “It’s a matter of justice and of human dignity … It all just clicked for me when I read it.”