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’ #217: The ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion. It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment. Others are passive; they choose not to change their habits and thus become inconsistent. 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.
Reflection: Conversion means turning away from something that is death-dealing and turning toward something that is life-giving. Adopt one practice this week that will be life-giving for our planet. What interior conversion do you need in order to more fully live your vocation to be a protector of God’s handiwork?