“In the meantime, we come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast. In union with all creatures, we journey through this land seeking God, for “if the world has a beginning and if it has been created, we must enquire who gave it this beginning, and who was its Creator”. Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.
God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!” (Laudato Si’ #244-245)
As we experience Holy Week in this 2022, there is much to distract us: war, sickness, human trafficking, political vitriol, the seemingly hopeless plight of the poor and marginalized, and our own personal worries and concerns… All of us are affected by at least some of these things, many of us by most of them. Yet, there is also much good too! In the midst of unthinkable evil, exists unfathomable good. Just think of those who are caring for the poor, the refugees, the sick, the elderly, the lonely, the addicted, for those despairing, for those without faith, and for the earth we share. There are many graces for those who truly enter into Holy Week, including the confirmation that, when all seems lost, we know that God does not forsake us, but rather provides for our ultimate welfare, in ways we never dared to imagine. Even if brutally crucified, God does not abandon his beloved; God does not leave us alone or abandon our presence.
If God chose, and still chooses, to dwell among us, to give himself for us and for our world, then what other reason to we need to take an active interest in our common home, the earth. It’s God’s dwelling too. Let us let this Holy Week ignite a renewed zeal for the care of our common home, and for all those who dwell in it. Let us not say that we are too small, too insignificant to make a difference. Let us, instead, see and respect our connection to others, and to all creation, and in doing so, truly find the joy of our hope!