The Third Sunday of Easter.
The homily for today was all about Earth Day, and the man who invented it in 1969 - with mention of what inspired him the year before: The 1968 Apollo 8 lunar mission, especially the photos showing the astronauts' view of the earth. Thus when the same images were later printed in Life magazine, Deacon seemed to think that those photos are what inspired the guy to create Earth Day. I always thought it had more to do with a huge oil spill in California around the same time, but who cares.
The Deacon preached the homily. Normally his homilies are very good, drawn from the liturgical texts for the Sunday he is scheduled to preach. His regular ministry is to the Native American community in town, the community is dedicated to Kateri Tekakwitha. Since his assignment there, Deacon has become ever more environmentally conscious. That may explain a few things with regard to the subject of his homily.
So yeah, the Third Sunday of Easter, and the homily was all about Earth Day - so much for that joy of Easter, huh?
"Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And He said to them, 'Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.'" - Luke: 24: 35-48
Remember: Don't mention the Passion of Christ, repentance or the forgiveness of sins, or any para-liturgical devotion during Eastertide! I kinda did in a post yesterday, but I think I got away with it.
Earth Day eggs.
I don't think earth day merits a homily. I think there needs to be a thoroughly Catholic catechesis on God's green earth and our relationship to it. This shouldn't be left to the pagans and neopagans or methodists. I suppose where you live and the social milieu are why you had a homily on earth day today. I know I won't hear about earth day this morning.
ReplyDeleteA huge aspect of our faith is coming to know God – a great love process which hopefully grows throughout our lifetimes. We come to know God through the mass, sacraments, prayer,and human relationships among others. But, I’m certain that we also know Him through creation.
ReplyDeleteIt’s just the tip of the iceberg folks…
• CCC 32, 1147, 2500 (2nd Edition, 2000).
• Renewing the Earth – An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching (USCCB, 1991).
• Sharing Catholic Social Teaching – Reflections of the US Catholic Bishops (USCCB, 1999).
“We show our respect for the Creator by our Stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.”
Best,
-Paul
Jeez, what a crappy Catholic I am. I didn't even know it WAS Earth Day.
ReplyDeleteHappy Urf Day, Terry! I went and gassed the car after Mass this morning - a two-fer!
ReplyDelete“The Earth is indeed a precious gift of the Creator who, in designing its intrinsic order, has given us bearings that guide us as stewards of his creation. Precisely from within this framework, the Church considers matters concerning the environment and its protection intimately linked to the theme of integral human development.”
ReplyDeletePope Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 26, 2009
“The deterioration of nature is… closely connected to the culture that shapes human coexistence: when ‘human ecology’ is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to FAO on Occasion of the World Summit on Food Security, November 16, 2009
“When making use of natural resources, we should be concerned for their protection and consider the cost entailed – environmentally and socially – as an essential part of the overall expenses incurred.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010
“The ecological crisis offers a historic opportunity to develop a common plan of action aimed at orienting the model of global development toward greater respect for creation and for an integral human development inspired by the values proper to charity in truth.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010
“I would advocate the adoption of a model of development based on the centrality of the human person, on the promotion and sharing of the common good, on responsibility, on a realization of our need for a changed lifestyle, and on prudence, the virtue which tells us what needs to be don today in view of what might happen tomorrow (cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 49, 5).
Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010
“We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence of particular interests.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 2010
“Too often, attention is diverted from the needs of populations, insufficient emphasis is placed on work in the fields, and the goods of the earth are not given adequate protection. As a result, economic imbalance is produced, and the inalienable rights and dignity of every human person are ignored.”
Pope Benedict XVI, Message to Mr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of FAO on the Occasion of World Food Day, October 15, 2010
If it's ok for Bishops to preach in their homilies about the President, I'm ok with a priest homilizing care for creation.
ReplyDeleteNo problem then - but it was a deacon who preached at my Mass, not a priest. Not that it makes any difference.
DeleteI just realized that Earth Day is the secular Easter - all the parks in town had egg hunts for Earth Day. How Gaia. (Get it?)