This weekend we find ourselves reflecting on several themes in the readings. This is due to us celebrating both World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and Labor Day. In the first reading from the book of Genesis we hear of the creation of the earth and the heavens as well the creation of Adam and the garden of Eden and human’s job to cultivate and care for the earth. We know the story well and know that the garden of Eden becomes the home of Eve and Adam, a place of beauty and harmony, at least for a time. It is theirs to labor in the garden and cultivate the land and care for it. Just as we too are called to do the same today, and yet, it seems that instead of caring for our common home, we have quite literally set it afire. We have polluted our rivers, lakes and oceans and deforested it and poisoned the land with pesticides. And we continue to pollute the very air we breathe. Pope Francis has called us to join together and to respond immediately to the environmental crisis we find ourselves living in at this very moment. Climate change is real and undeniable! We humans, by the manner in which we have lived have brought about this crisis and we must act NOW, working together with people from around the world to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint and find ways to decrease our consumption. We must work to clean our oceans, lakes and rivers. We must find ways to clean the land we have poisoned with chemicals and replant what we have deforested. We have to remember that the earth was made for us as a “common home”; a place that we are responsible to love and care for. Not a place to consume and use thoughtlessly without regard for the consequences of our actions. As we join with people around the world to celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, let us commit ourselves to live more simply and consume less, to become more conscious of what and how we consume and what impact that reality has on our planet and on our sisters and brothers.
And finally, this Labor Day weekend let us remember that “Catholic teaching holds that central to promoting the dignity of work and rights of workers is building solidarity with and among workers. The Church has long looked towards the important role played by labor unions in the effort to protect the needs and rights of workers in situations of inequality and injustice” (see Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 305, taken from USCCB Labor Day Pastoral Aid). Let us pray for workers’ rights around the world, for fair and just wages, healthcare, paid time off, family leave and safe working conditions.
Blessings,
Fr Tim
And finally, this Labor Day weekend let us remember that “Catholic teaching holds that central to promoting the dignity of work and rights of workers is building solidarity with and among workers. The Church has long looked towards the important role played by labor unions in the effort to protect the needs and rights of workers in situations of inequality and injustice” (see Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 305, taken from USCCB Labor Day Pastoral Aid). Let us pray for workers’ rights around the world, for fair and just wages, healthcare, paid time off, family leave and safe working conditions.
Blessings,
Fr Tim
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