Day 2: 17th May – Responding to the Cry of an Impoverished Earth and the Cry of the Poorest of Humanity:  From Laudato Si

‘How inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace.’ #10

‘…a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.’ # 49

Reflection:
The call to recognise that oneness is at the heart of all things is expressed outwardly in our efforts to bring about a better world for all. The link between the cry of an impoverished earth and the cry of the poorest of humanity is now well established. To neglect one is to neglect the other.

Cry itself is a metaphor rich in meaning. Cry can imply a feeling of pain and suffering, an experience of loss and anguish, a calling out for relief and sympathy. Not only that but this cry is also an appeal for responsible action.

Our human vocation to act, expresses such responsible action when our work for the betterment of humanity goes hand in hand with our actions on behalf of the very planet that gives life to that humanity.

As we move through, and emerge from a COVID-19 world, that vision of responsible action for all of creation needs to inform all our decisions of recovery.

Prayer:
Let us be ever mindful of the call to act in a sensitive and empathetic way for the good of the whole of creation, mindful that our treatment of an impoverished earth and our responses to the cries of the poorest of humanity mirror each other.

Margaret Twomey rsm