Dear Parishioners:
As you may know, on Wednesday, April 22nd, we celebrated “EARTH DAY.” EARTH DAY was first celebrated in 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson (Wisconsin) first advocated for the day as a day for education; Senator Nelson envisioned the day to be a type of “national teach-in on the environment.” The movement has grown over the years and now EARTH DAY is a week-long, world-wide event with more than one billion people participating in some type of EARTH DAY event.
Our own Pope Francis spoke about the environment and our need to be good stewards of God’s creation here on earth. In his Papal Encyclical, LAUDETE SI, Pope Francis lamented pollution, lack of clean water, and loss of biodiversity. The real problem, Pope Francis believes, is that human beings do not see God as their creator! Pope Francis challenged us to view humanity not as having “dominion” over creation but that everything is interconnected and that all of creation is a “kind of universal family.” Nature cannot be seen as something separate.
The scriptures also focus our attention on God’s creation:
Heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to the Lord your God, the earth with all that is in it (Deuteronomy 10:14).
The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God founded the seas, and established it on the rivers (Psalm 24:1-2).
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy (Psalm 96:11-12).
Now, I realize that even the environmental movement has political overtones these days. However, no matter what political side you stand on, I think we can all agree that all of us have a responsibility towards the environment. The Old Testament Book of Genesis reminds us that we are stewards of God’s creation and thus we should be the best stewards we can be.
Here are a few suggestions that I think all of us can do to help the environment.
- Use re-usable bags. As you know, plastic bags cost you five cents for each bag. You can buy those canvas bags. I know that I keep those canvas bags in my car; now, I just have to remember to take them with me into the store!
- Turn off electronic devices. Turn off any TV, DVD player, stereo, cell phone charger, etc. when these are not in use. You will save money on your electric bills as well!
- Plant a tree! A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide during its life cycle.
- Use reusable containers. Rather than use plastic water bottles, use refillable bottles. Also, if you are packing lunch, use containers that can be washed and reused.
Remember: Together, we can do something beautiful for God.
In Christ,
Fr. Brian