Reflections on Laudato Si’

“We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

On June 18, 2015, Pope Francis released Laudato Si’, his much-anticipated encyclical on caring for creation. In so doing, the pope invited not just the entire Church but the whole of humanity to enter into a more intentional dialogue. He asked us to reflect on what it means to be good stewards of our common home—and the effect our actions have on the poor and vulnerable.

Pope Francis has issued a challenge. And all these years later, his encyclical still deserves continued conversation, contemplation and action. Take time to reflect on your own relationship to the environment—and that of our community with five distinct modules with prayers, activities and questions that will help you unpack the themes in Laudato Si’.

How has Climate Change impacted God’s creation?

We’re currently on a dangerous path. Global warming—a gradual rise of the Earth’s temperature due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere—is threatening to transform the planet. Most scientists agree that to reach more than 2 degrees above preindustrial levels is a critical threshold. Unless we change course now, we’re likely to face an uncertain and difficult future.

Advocate on Climate Change Now

Lack of Clean Water

Opening Prayer: The Gift of Flowing Water

God of all creation, we thank you for flowing water, for its quenching, cleansing power, for all that grows and flourishes under its care. We name those things for which we are grateful.

God of all creation, we know that so many of our sisters and brothers lack the water they need. We know, too, that at times water is destructive, tossing communities about in storms—flooding towns, villages, homes.

We name those people, places and things for which we’d like to pray. God of all creation, we ask that you be present in a special way as we contemplate your gift of water, your presence in creation.

Amen.

Read “The Issue of Water” in Laudato Si’, sections 27–31.

One Planet, One Family

Some residents of Manila—the capital city of the Philippines—live in particularly precarious conditions. In the early 1990s, a lowland area of rice paddies began filling with water, exacerbated by high tides on one side of the community and runoff from higher ground on the other. The water is now 5 to 7 feet high, with no drainage possible. Families that once lived in cement houses on the ground now live in bamboo homes that can be raised every few years to accommodate constantly increasing water levels. They cannot relocate because of high housing costs. Additionally, new families migrating for factory work are increasing the population density. That, when coupled with no sanitation infrastructure, leads to ongoing health risks that become critical during disasters.

Activity: Access to Water

More than 750 million people around the world lack access to safe, clean water. Women and children often spend hours a day walking long distances to collect it.

Try it. How long does it take you to access clean water? In fact, how many options for clean water do you have that are within a 2-minute walk from where you’re sitting? How many points of access to clean water can you find? Are you able to transport it? How long did it take you?

Give the Gift of Clean Water

Questions to Ponder

• In the excerpt from Laudato Si’, does Pope Francis raise any issues that strike a particular chord with you? How can you respond to the pope’s invitation?
• What do you feel when you view the image from the Philippines? How might this image fit into Pope Francis’ invitation—and how can you respond?
• What did the Access to Water activity reveal? Was there any sense of discomfort or obligation?

Closing Prayer: Water That is Holy

God of the oceans, the rivers, the streams and the puddles. Creator of rain and morning dew, quencher of thirst.

We see you in those good things you have made; we seek you in all creation.

In your holy water, we meet you. There you welcome us into your family through Baptism; there you commission us to go out and serve one another.

Amen.

Fasting Challenge: Conserve Water

This week, get a sense of how much water you use—whether it means taking less time in the shower, turning off the water while brushing your teeth or being more mindful while doing the dishes. And then see how much you can save.

Access to Food

Opening Prayer: Fertile Soil

God of all creation, we thank you for the living soil, for its nurturing care, for all that grows and blossoms from it. We name those things for which we are grateful.

God of all creation, we know that so many of our sisters and brothers go hungry because the earth around them is cracked, dry and dead. We name those people, places and things for which we’d like to pray.

God of all creation, we ask that you be present in a special way as we contemplate your gift of soil and all that grows from it.

Amen.

Read “New biological technologies” in Laudato Si’, sections 130–132.

One Planet, One Family

As Pope Francis notes, sometimes human intervention in the environment can be a good—and necessary—thing. In Madagascar, countless farming communities lost their entire crop in 2013 in the wake of Cyclone Haruna. These hardworking farmers just needed a little help getting back on their feet. The CRS seed fair is helping them do just that. Farmers receive agriculture vouchers to purchase seeds, tools and livestock, and vendors benefit from a safe, structured venue where they can sell their goods.

Activity: Travelling Food

In the United States, food often travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table. That means a ton of fuel is burned transporting it, not to mention the energy it takes to preserve it. Pope Francis invites us to consider the “human interventions” that affect our environment.

Try it. List the food and drinks you’ve consumed today and try to map them back to their source. Be realistic—how many “human interventions” did it take to get from farm to plate to your stomach?

Advocate on the Farm Bill

Questions to Ponder

• In the excerpt from Laudato Si’, does Pope Francis raise any issues that strike a particular chord with you? How can you respond to the pope’s invitation to care for creation?
• How do you react to the many kinds of “human interventions” that occur in our environment? How does the scene from Madagascar affect your thinking?
• Think about your own food consumption habits. Are there any that are particularly helpful to the environment? Or any that seem harmful?

Closing Prayer: Commissioned by Soil

God of the earth, of the soil, of the dirt..

God of all things that grow, and sprout and bloom..

We see you in those good things you have made; we seek you in all creation..

May we learn ways to cultivate food that both nourishes our bodies and our planet. May we never take for granted the sustenance that comes forth from that soil that enables us to continue your good work. May we take for our own the words of Ecclesiastes: One who pays heed to the wind will never sow, and one who watches the clouds will never reap. (11:4) May we be moved to act, to match our hunger for nourishment with a hunger for justice—both for our brothers and sisters, and for our planet.

Amen.

Collapsing Ecosystems

Opening Prayer: Ravaged Resources

God of all creation, we thank you for the community of nature, for all those natural wonders that occur in each moment of which we may be hardly aware. We name those things for which we are grateful.

God of all creation, we know that so many of our sisters and brothers suffer in broken ecosystems and that because of forces beyond their control, their natural community is ravaged for key resources,

thus causing harm. We name those people, places and things for which we’d like to pray.

God of all creation, we ask that you be present in a special way as we contemplate your gift of ecological wholeness and our own place within your creation.

Amen.

Read “Environmental, Economic and Social Ecology” in Laudato Si’, sections 138–142.

One Planet, One Family

It goes without saying that if the Department of Nariño, Colombia, can sell the coffee it grows to specialty coffee roasters in the United States, then something’s going right with the ecosystem. But as Pope Francis reminds us, we can’t separate the ecological from the social and economic. And the social and economic ecology of Nariño is less than ideal. That’s why the CRS Borderlands project is supporting more than 3,000 coffee farmers in conflict-affected communities along the Colombia-Ecuador border. We’re helping them increase their yields—and incomes—improve their coffee quality and sell their coffee to buyers in the United States.

ACTIVITY: EcoSnap

“If everything is related, then the health of society’s institutions has consequences for the environment and the quality of human life,” Pope Francis writes. He goes on to quote Pope Benedict’s Caritas in Veritate: “‘Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment.’” How often do we recognize this interconnected reality in our everyday lives?

Try it. Grab your phone and go out into your immediate “ecosystem.” Find something that points to the relationship between institutions, the environment and human life. Maybe it’s a very obvious example of how violations of solidarity harm the environment; maybe it’s a more subtle reminder of how all things work together. Take a photo and share your reflections on social media. Be sure to tag @catholicreliefservices and use #OnePlanetOneFamily.

Questions to Ponder

• In the excerpt from Laudato Si’, does Pope Francis raise any issues that strike a particular chord with you? How can you respond to the pope’s invitation?
• Where are those places that you easily overlook the interconnectedness of God’s creation? How might you better recognize this “harmonious ensemble” in the future?
• How can a more “harmonious” outlook serve those who are the most vulnerable?

Closing Prayer: Sticks and Stones

God of all creation, three in one, whole, complete. We see you in those good things you have made; we seek after you in all creation. We know that all things can conspire together for your greater glory if we but allow them to. May we serve you in creation, allowing what you have made to work as one for you. We hear the words of Christ: That they may be one, as we are one. (John 17:22)

May we join the social and the ecological in building up the Reign of God.

Amen.

Fasting Challenge

Make the social, ecological—and vice versa Pope Francis very clearly articulates that the social and ecological are very interrelated. One concrete way you can make a global difference is by buying, learning and educating others about—and advocating for—fair trade.

Renewing Global Responsibility or Recognizing our Contribution

Opening Prayer: The Air that Connects Us

God of all creation, we thank you for our global community, for the air that connects us, the common planet we share, the natural experiences we all have in common no matter where we live around the globe. We name those things for which we are grateful.

God of all creation, we know that our inaction as a global community so often exacerbates the hardship so many of our brothers and sisters encounter day after day. We name those people, places and things for which we’d like to pray.

God of all creation, we ask that you be present in a special way as we contemplate our responsibility as a global community to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

Amen.

Read “Dialogue on the Environment in the International Community” in Laudato Si’, sections 164–172.

One Planet, One Family

In Kolkata, India—a large urban slum—families sort through garbage to find items of value that will help them earn a living. Conditions are perilous, and living among garbage means poor air quality and polluted water. Communities like Kolkata are often forgotten in the international arena of global politics, but they are affected first and worst by global inaction to climate change.

Advocate for the US to be a global leader on climate change

Activity: Calculating Your Carbon Footprint

We all have a carbon footprint and contribute—perhaps unknowingly—to an unsustainable use of energy. And embedded within that unsustainable energy use is a great injustice: the earth cries out as resources are continuously destroyed, and the poor cry out for equitable access to our shared home.

Try it. A quick search on the internet will reveal several carbon footprint calculators. Choose one and find out how much carbon you contribute to our ecosystem.

Questions to Ponder

• In the excerpt from Laudato Si’, does Pope Francis raise any issues that strike a particular chord with you? How can you respond to the pope’s invitation?
• Global solidarity reminds us that we are all responsible for all—something often forgotten in conversations on international stewardship and sustainability. How can you model this sense of solidarity, taking into account both the cries of the earth and the poor?
• What contributes most to your carbon footprint? How might you be able to reduce it?

Closing Prayer: A Single Candle

God of all creation, a community of three inviting a community of all, we see you in those good things you have made; we seek after you in all creation.

You ask us to be good stewards of the earth and invite us to collaborate in your great work. You call us to come together as one human family sharing one common home. We ask that your Holy Spirit come upon and guide us as we continue to more closely interconnect our lives. We ask that we may do so in justice, peace and prudence so that we too, like the early disciples, may have all things in common. (Acts 2:44)

Amen.

Fasting Challenge: Conserve Energy

Do a serious assessment of your daily routine. Find out what you have in your household that is contributing to climate change. Where is your carbon footprint most apparent? Are you able to walk or bike instead of drive? How many lights do you turn on to light a single room? How much energy goes into producing the food you eat? How might simplifying your life conserve energy?

A Spirituality of Integral Ecology

Opening Prayer: A Prayer for Our Earth

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.

Amen.

Read “Joy and Peace” in Laudato Si’, sections 222–227.

One Planet, One Family

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wildflowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them … But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matthew 6:25–34)

Activity: Canticle of Sun

“When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them,” Pope Francis writes. He goes on to reflect on a famous hymn by Saint Francis of Assisi, typically known as “Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon” (Sections 84–88 of Laudato Si’ provide part of the text and further reflection).

Try it. Create a piece of artwork that reflects how your heart is moved by the wonder of creation. Consider writing a poem, making a painting or composing your own prayer.

Questions to Ponder

• In the excerpt from Laudato Si’, does Pope Francis raise any issues that strike a particular chord with you? How can you respond to the pope’s invitation?
• How do the words of the Gospel resonate with your personal spirituality? In what ways does your faith life assume an integral eco-spirituality—and in what ways might you desire growth? What role does simplicity play?
• Describe the experience of creating your artwork. Was it easy or hard? Why?

Closing Prayer: Praised Be

Praised be you, God of all creation, we see you in those good things you have made, in the light of brother sun and sister moon; in the rush of brothers wind and air, in the cool touch of sister water and in the nourishing bounty of our mother the Earth.

Amen.

Fasting Challenge: Kenosis, or Self-emptying

In your ongoing ecological conversion, how can you continue to remove those things in your life that get in the way of hearing the cries of the earth and the poor? How can your personal fast become a feast for our one human family and our common home?

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3 Billion
People are at risk

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Many people in the developing world live simply. They contribute little to global warming. Yet they are the ones feeling it first—and they will be hit the hardest if we do nothing. In rural areas, farmers and fishers who depend on the earth for nourishment and livelihoods are already feeling the effects of climate change. Droughts and floods mean losses to income, crops, livestock and homes. Pests and disease are on the rise, threatening crops and human health. Shifting rainfall patterns leave farmers uncertain when to plant. Higher temperatures shorten crop lifecycles and decrease yields.

We must help communities adapt to a new reality of a harsher climate. But adapting requires more than compassion. It’s essential that wealthier nations—led by the United States—commit significant resources and funding to support the people of the developing world. Lift your voice on behalf of our sisters and brothers to urge members of Congress to make the United States a global leader in responding to the consequences of climate change.

We know we have been part of the problem. Now we can be part of the solution. Join us and stand in solidarity with people in the developing world who are already suffering the impact of climate change.