Pope Francis designated May 24, 2020 through May 24, 2021 as Laudato Si’ Year to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his landmark encyclical on the care for our common home. The following is an excerpt from Laudato Si’ and a reflection provided by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia.
Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ #244: We come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast. In union with all creatures, we journey through this land seeking God, for “if the world has a beginning and if it has been created, we must inquire who gave it this beginning, and who was its Creator.” Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.
Reflection: We have come to the end of Laudato Si’ Year. How have these weekly reflections touched your heart? Is there any way they changed your perspective? Pope Francis ends his encyclical by reminding us to stay HOPEFUL! Practice hope this week.
“To protect creation,
to protect every man and every woman,
to look upon them with tenderness and love
is to open up a horizon of hope;
it is to let a shaft of light
break through the heavy clouds;
it is to bring the warmth of hope!”
—Pope Francis