Through Lent with Pope Francis
Neglecting to monitor the harm done to nature and the environmental impact of our decisions is only the most striking sign of a disregard for the message contained in the structures of nature itself. When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities – to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected …Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God.
Laudato si’ 117, 120
Scripture
Romans 12:3-5, 9, 10, 13 NIV
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others….Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves…. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.
Thought for Today
Where might I feel social bonds in my own life struggling or frayed?
Where might I choose to place myself before others?
Do I sense a struggle where God is inviting me to grow in God’s love through love of others?
Can I take these thoughts and share them with my God?
How does God see me as I share my thoughts and feelings with God?
Music
Gather us In, written by Marty Haughen