“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Easter season is the Church’s celebration of the glory of Christ’s resurrection–for fifty wondrous days! As Spring unfolds splendidly around us, we are vividly aware of the signs of new life: in our gardens, our neighborhoods, local parks, and farm fields which will soon provide us with fresh fruits and vegetables. Without any effort on our part, the Lord God provides for “His people, the flock He tends.” (cf. Ps. 100)
On May 24, 2015 (Pentecost Sunday), Pope Francis released the encyclical “Laudato Si’” (LS) for the Church. The title came from the Canticle of the Creatures that St. Francis of Assisi wrote 800 years ago (1225): “Praise be to You, My Lord.” In the introduction to the encyclical, Pope Francis addressed the tears of Sister Mother Earth with this poignant observation: “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the good with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also evident in the soil, in the water, in the air, and in all forms of life.”
In the second reading from the Book of Revelation, St. John has a vision of a great multitude standing before God’s throne, where the Lamb of God, their Shepherd, sits at the center. Despite many dangers, toils, sufferings, and fears, God has delivered His sheep with the assurance that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” In the papal encyclical, Pope Francis gives a profound warning to the world to take care of the common home which God gave to all of us. Noting grave ecological challenges, Pope Francis makes the case for a conversion among people of good will to recognize “the intimate relationships between the poor and the fragility of the planet.” (LS 16) Indeed, there are many tears shed every day throughout the world by those who suffer from the sins of indifference.
Since the completion of his wonderful Lenten book/movie project, Deacon Jim Casa has been promoting his next activity for our parish: the encyclical letter “Laudato Si’” and the movie “The Letter.” On June 1st (Ascension Sunday) at 2:30 PM in Sacred Heart School Library, Deacon Jim has planned to show the video to anyone who wishes to understand ecological conversion better. How timely this offering is as the Church celebrates the 10th anniversary of the encyclical and the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures!
As soon as Pope Francis emerged on the balcony at St. Peter’s Square in 2013 as the next successor of St. Peter, he made it a priority of his papacy to evangelize through the importance of relationships: with God, one another, and God’s Creation. By choosing the papal name Francis, he embraced the vision of a medieval saint who made Christ the center of His life, living the Good News with joy and zeal. It is no wonder that the Canticle of the Creatures inspired Pope Francis to write an encyclical to awaken the world to our shared stewardship of God’s goodness that is revealed in all of Creation.
In his book “God’s Love Song: The Vision of Francis and Clare” (Franciscan Media, c. 2024), Franciscan Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, captures how St. Francis became a Troubadour of the Great King through his daily simple praises of the all-good God, who inspired the saint’s lifetime of loving service to all of God’s creatures. In his final addition to the Canticle. St. Francis even embraced Sister Death:
“The ‘Canticle of the Creatures’ is the great love song of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a beautiful aria, a poem, and a hymn of thanksgiving that praises God and reveals St. Francis’s profound relationship with God and all of God’s creatures. It is a swan song in the tradition of the troubadours before him that puts lyrics to a life of love.”
Deacon Jim’s book/video project is somewhat different this time, because it is difficult to make a movie of an encyclical. In the video, however, the powerful message of the encyclical comes alive through the four stories (five different protagonists) who speak for Mother Earth with personal stories of the need for ecological conversion, so that the tears of those who suffer will be wiped away:
- Cacique Dadá, a leader of the Novo Lugar community of Borari people in the Maró Indigenous Territory of Pará, Brazil;
- Arounda Kandé, a climate refugee from the Kolde Region of Senegal, where 80% of the population lives in poverty;
- Ridhima Pandey, from Hadiwar Uttarakhand, India, who started advocacy at age 9 for alarming climate issues;
- Greg Asner & Robin Marlen, husband and wife marine biologists from Hawaii who have devoted their scientific research for the protection of life.
June 1st is an important date on our calendars: a communal sharing of the encyclical’s message to unite us by hope to care for our common home. Pope Francis invites us to reexamine our relationships:
“Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the Earth. When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is endangered.” (LS 70)
Jesus speaks to us in so many ways—even in book/movie projects! Let’s get to know Him better…
”The glory of God gave it light and its lamp was the Lamb.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
SPECIAL BLESSINGS TO ALL AS WE CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY!
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