Search
-
January 28, 2015
St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor
On Wednesday, February 18, we begin the holy season of Lent. We are asked to give special focus to prayer, fasting, and alms-giving during these six weeks of preparation for Easter. Under the guidance of the patron of the environment, St.Francis, we will recommend that Care for Creation be part of your spiritual activity during Lent. In a general way, this can be done through a daily prayerful recitation of the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.- PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable;
- LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change;
- ASSESS how each of us – as individuals or within our families, workplaces or other organizations – is contributing to climate change (i.e., consumption and conservation);
- ACT to change our choices and behaviors contributing to climate change;
- ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact the poor and vulnerable.
In more specific ways, each week in the bulletin we will be suggesting ways that you might want to lessen the amount of energy you use.We all can be more thoughtful consumers of energy.Each one of us has particular weaknesses, all of us have areas we could improve.Do we:- In our home, adjust the winter thermostat a bit lower and the summer thermostat a bit higher? Use energy-efficient lighting and turn it off when not needed.
- In our car, do we keep it tuned with correct tire pressure, drive as little as necessary, drive as though we have a rotten egg under the accelerator?
- In our food, can we eat less meat this Lent and through the year? Can we take only what we will eat and eat everything we have taken? Can we eat as locally as possible? It takes a lot of fossil fuel to grow and distribute from the industrial farms.