This Day In History: Laudato Si' Week May 16-24, 2020

Pope Francis, in a video message, enjoins all of humanity to celebrate Laudato Si' Week from May 16-24, 2020.

"What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us, to children who are growing up? Motivated by this question, I would like to invite you to participate in Laudato Si' Week from 16-24 May 2020. It is a global campaign on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’: on the care of our common home. I renew my urgent call to respond to the ecological crisis. The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor cannot continue. Let’s take care of creation, a gift of our good Creator God. Let’s celebrate Laudato Si’ Week together. May God bless you. And do not forget to pray for me." Pope Francis

The 8th Work of Mercy from which this blog gets its namesake was unheard of until Pope Francis added the contemplation of creation on top of the traditional seven works of spiritual and corporal works of mercy (Pope Francis’ message “Show Mercy to our Common Home” written on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, 1st of September 2016). However, the call of Pope Francis that we do something for Mother Earth, while there is still time, began five years ago on May 24, 2015 on the proclamation of Laudato Si' Encyclical Letter. The Pope sees the urgency of a deeper spiritual awareness and conversion as regards our relationship with our common home.

“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs” (LS 1).

This week from May 16-24, 2020, I invite you to become an 8th worker with our own simple ways of reducing, reusing, recycling, repurposing, reposing (or giving rest) and revering. On the side bar of this blog you find the category 8th Worker DIY (Do It Yourself) listed under Catalogue. There are so many remedies each one could do this week. Feel free to share your own initiatives to your friends.

Right after the typhoon, we were helped by a pair of pigeons in cleaning up the surroundings here in Sacred Heart Novitiate. They too are our fellow 8th workers. We recall that Noah was helped by a pigeon to determine if the great flood had already subsided.

Fr JM Manzano SJ