Climate Action Theme
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Earth Day 2020
On this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
we pray for our planet and a return to a web of life
that is in harmony, active for the good of all life. |
CANTICLE OF BROTHER SUN
Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord! All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.
All praise be Yours, my Lord, through all that You have made,
and first, my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day; and light You give us through him.
and first, my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day; and light You give us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be Yours, my Lord,
through Sister Moon and Stars;
in the heavens You made them bright and precious and fair.
through Sister Moon and Stars;
in the heavens You made them bright and precious and fair.
All praise be Yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so useful, lowly, precious and pure.
so useful, lowly, precious and pure.
All praise be Yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how playful! Full of power and strength.
through whom You brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how playful! Full of power and strength.
All praise be Yours, my Lord,
through Sister Earth, our Mother,
who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
through Sister Earth, our Mother,
who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
All praise be Yours, my Lord,
through those who grant pardon for love of You;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
through those who grant pardon for love of You;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
by You Most High, they will be crowned.
by You Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be Yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
from whose embrace no mortal can escape.
from whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin,
happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
happy those she finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.
and serve Him with great humility.
-Saint Francis of Assisi
Sing The Canticle here:
Watch Earth Day
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On Earth Day 2020, we say enough is enough.
We say we believe in science.
We say that everyone can make a difference.
We say that the protection of our planet and the wellbeing of the people who live upon it are the top priorities.
On Earth Day 2020, we say that we’re committing to vote, we’re registering to vote and we’re showing up to vote.
And if we can’t vote, we’re exercising our power to demand more action from our leaders.
As we acknowledge the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we also celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Laudato Si. Here is a summary of Pope Francis remarks for this year’s celebrations.
Pope on Earth Day:
common action needed to protect
“our garden-home”
Celebrating the 50th Earth Day on Tuesday, Pope Francis pointed out that the tragic coronavirus pandemic has taught us that we can overcome global challenges only by showing solidarity with one another and embracing the most vulnerable in our midst.
Biblical origins
The Pope, who dedicated his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si”, to the care of the created world, noted that we are fashioned from the earth and that the fruit of the earth sustains our life. As the book of Genesis reminds us, we are not simply “earthly”; we also bear within us the ‘breath of life’ that comes from God. Thus, he said, we live in this common home as one human family in biodiversity with God’s other creatures.
As the ‘image of God’, the Pope said, we are called to care for and respect all creatures, and to offer love and compassion to our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable among us, in imitation of God’s love for us, manifested in his Son Jesus.
Selfishness
However, because of our selfishness, we have failed in our responsibility to be guardians and stewards of the earth. We have polluted and despoiled it, endangering our very lives. In this regard, the Pope expressed appreciation for the various international and local movements who are appealing to our consciences. Our children, he said, have taken to the streets to teach us that “we have no future if we destroy the very environment that sustains us”.
“Gospel of Creation”, “our garden-home”
By failing to care for “our garden-home”, the earth, and our brothers and sisters, the Pope said, we have sinned against the earth, against our neighbors, and ultimately against the Creator. Hence, we need to look at our common home, the earth, in a new way, in order to restore a harmonious relationship with the earth and with the rest of humanity.
We should not regard the earth as a “storehouse of resources for us to exploit”. For believers, the Pope said, the natural world is the “Gospel of Creation” as it expresses God’s creative power in fashioning human life and bringing the world and all it contains into existence, in order to sustain humanity.
The Pope called on all to renew their sense of sacred respect for the earth, saying “is not just our home but also God’s home”, and that ‘we stand on holy ground’.
In this regard, he held up the indigenous people as a model saying, “they teach us that we cannot heal the earth unless we love and respect it”.
Ecological conversion and common action
The Holy Father said that an ecological conversion with concrete actions is needed in order to avert the threats to our common home. In this regard, he asked leaders to guide the preparations for two important international conferences: COP15 on Biodiversity in Kunming, China [October 2020], and COP26 on Climate Change in Glasgow, UK [November 2020].
At the local and national levels, the Pope encouraged the creation of a popular movement “from below”, noting that the Earth Day was born this way. “We can each contribute in our own small way,” he urged.
Today, let us reflect together a little on that responsibility which characterizes “our earthly sojourn” (Laudato Si’, 160). We must grow in our awareness of care for our common home.
Read Laudato Si here:
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