Laudato Si’ Reflection- The Beauty of Creation.

This May is the sixth anniversary of the publication of Laduato Si’ :- Care for our Common Home .So each week in May I will post a reflection on different aspects of the encyclical and link them to scripture.

Book of Wisdom 13:4-9

^“And if they have been impressed by their power and energy, let them deduce from these how much mightier is he that has formed them, since through the grandeur and beauty of the creatures we may, by analogy, contemplate their Author. “

Laudato Si’ #12

“What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.”

Action

CAFOD’s Campaign Reclaim Our Common Home  is a response to Pope Francis’s call for a new way of thinking about the world, and to take an active part in renewing our troubled societies by embracing the universal values of solidarity and fraternity, and to care for our common home.

You can take part by signing our petition to the Prime Minister to ask that he puts the people worst effected by the Climate Crisis at the heart of the talks at COP 26. Please click here to sign the petition. Around the country CAFOD volunteers are organising online meetings with their local MPs to share their concerns about the ” cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” so why not join them and get together with parishioners in your local area. For more information on Parliament in Your Parish contact Jo at portsmouth@cafod.org.uk

Can you help us to build a better world…

We don’t know what 2021 will reserve for us, but what all of us can do together is make a bit more effort to take care of each other.” Pope Francis.

The coronavirus crisis has proved that we need greater cooperation between nations, solidarity between people and a greater focus on the poorest in society, as they struggle to cope with poverty, hunger and in many places, the impact of climate change. 

As Catholics, we are called to not stay silent and not to be passive. And our voices are needed more than ever this year, as the UK hosts two major global events – the G7 Summit in June in Cornwall and the COP26 UN Climate Talks in Glasgow in November. The UK can have significant influence on these meetings as host, so we need to make sure our political leaders hear, now, that we want the world poorest people to be at the heart of these talks.  

Two issues have the greatest potential to make a difference. Firstly, as poor countries struggle with the devastating effects of the pandemic, we want the crippling debt repayments that they continually make to richer nations and private banks to be cancelled to help them cope. Read more here. 

Secondly, we want decisions taken to keep global temperature rises below the disastrous 1.5-degree threshold. Many of the world’s poorest countries are struggling to cope with the effects of climate change such as increased droughts, floods, and cyclones. We must urge the Prime Minister to make sure communities hardest hit by the climate emergency are listened to at COP26. 

CAFOD is inviting people to organise an online meeting with their MP to talk about these issues, perhaps as a small group from the parish. You don’t need to be an expert in the issues or in technology! Read more about it here. And please sign our petition here.  

Referring to the COVID crisis, Pope Francis says, “If only this immense sorrow may not prove useless but enable us to take a step forward towards a new style of life.” 

Please contact me on portsmouth@cafod.org.uk for more information.

What is your 100 challenge?

It’s felt like a long year of lockdown but the example of Sir Captain Tom walking 100 laps of his garden was so inspiring! It was his determination that we can do something positive, that our small actions matter, and that “tomorrow will be a good day.” You are invited to follow his example and start fundraising! Captain Tom would have been 101 on Friday 30th April so over this weekend why not join in the CAFOD Captain Tom 100 challenge .The idea is to do something a 100 times for example :-

• swimming 100 metres
• scoring 100 goals
• baking and selling 100 cakes
• 100-minute bike ride
• 100 questions family quiz
• 100 laps around your local park
• building 100 sandcastles
• 100 squats or press-ups
• 100 tennis volleys
• 100-minute non-stop dancing
• 100-minute poetry recital

Once you have an idea for a 100 challenge set up a CAFOD just giving page so that people can donate and share it with your family, friends and parish and let us know what you are up to and tag us on social media @Cafodportsmouth . Thank you!