From The Bishop

The First Reading and the Gospel of the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time make a reference to nature. The Gospel of St. Mark speaks of seeds, plants, growth and harvest. The passage from the prophet Ezekiel speaks of mountains, forests, cedars and winged creatures. We see the glory of God expressed in nature. There is no question that during the pontificate of Pope Francis, there has been an emphasis on the environment. We see this especially in his encyclical Laudato Si, with its call to all people to care for our common home. Pope Francis believes that climate change is creating an ecological crisis in many places in the world. He maintains that we cannot be complacent because we are stewards of God’s creation. He writes, “The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion. It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment. Others are passive; they choose not to change their habits and thus become inconsistent. So what they all need is an ‘ecological conversion’, whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (#217). In the Second Reading, St. Paul states that we “walk by faith, not by sight.” This is also true with regard to the environment. Pope Francis reminds us of this fact when we consider our common home. Our faith calls us to be wise and responsible stewards of God’s glorious creation.