For past reflections, please scroll down beneath the current Sunday reflection.
Living in California these past few months has made all of us acutely aware of the fragility of our environment. The relentless heat, the widespread drought, and the destruction wrought by wildfires are all symptoms of a broader ecological crisis.
Our faith gives us resources to both understand and respond to this crisis. Since 2015, for example, the Catholic Church--along with many other Christian churches--has celebrated the month of September as the Season of Creation. The season begins with the World Day of Prayer for Creation on September 1st and ends with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 3rd. In his invitation to participate in last year’s Season, Pope Francis wrote of his hope that it would be an opportunity for the faithful to “renew their faith in the God of creation and join in prayer and work for the care of our common home.” Catholic resources for prayer and action can be found HERE https://seasonofcreation.org/catholic/.
October 3rd will also mark the launch of the Laudato Si’ Action Program, a multi-year effort aimed at inspiring Catholics and other people of good will to take concrete actions to be better stewards of God’s creation. The program was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and is being led by the Vatican and an international coalition of Catholic organizations. More information is available HERE https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/.
This Season of Creation will also be a critical moment to lift up the voices of the most vulnerable and advocate on their behalf ahead of two important United Nations summits, the UN Summit on Biodiversity in October and the UN Climate Summit in November. Pope Francis will be addressing the latter meeting in person, the first time that a pope has done so. The Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is encouraging Catholics to sign a letter to the leaders gathered at these summits available HERE https://thecatholicpetition.org/.
Healing our planet is likely to require some sacrifice on our part. As Jesus tells us this Sunday “whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mk 8:34) The scale of the challenge can seem daunting, even overwhelming. But in Laudato Si’, Pope Francis reminds us that “the Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.” (LS 13)
Additional Resources
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ in English
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) resources on environmental issues
https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/index.cfm
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ in Spanish
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/es/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
SPANISH LINKS TO BE SUBSTITUTED INTO SPANISH VERSION
Season of Creation resources in Spanish
https://seasonofcreation.org/es/resources-es/
Laudato Si Action Platform in Spanish
https://plataformadeaccionlaudatosi.org/
Letter to leaders gathering for UN summits in Spanish
https://thecatholicpetition.org/es/home-es/
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) Mark 7:34
I read an article recently about a mission volunteer worker in West Africa. As the story goes, he started a school to teach sign language and job skills to deaf students. He observed that before becoming students, many of them did not realize that they had names. Their deafness deprived them of the pleasure of hearing, about the history of their culture, the opportunity to work, and feel productive, and even their identity.
I could not help thinking about the man in today’s Gospel story. We don’t know much about him except that he was deaf and had a speech impediment. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for him to communicate with others? No Braille, no sign language plus the fact that most people around him in Jesus’ time could not read or write. How about the people who brought the man to Jesus for healing? We don’t know anything about them except that “they” were most probably Gentiles because, remarkably, the healing took place in Gentile territory.
As we celebrate the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary time this weekend, our readings invite all of us to extend Jesus’ healing and caring love to all who are in need both spiritually and physically. We are sort of a “conduit” if you will, when the Lord speaks and acts through us to those most in need of his compassion, mercy and love.
In the first reading from Isaiah, the Israelites are beginning to return to their homeland after years of captivity in Babylon. God tells them “not to be frightened” that He will come to save them and when He does, “the ears of the deaf will be cleared and the tongue of the mute will sing.”
St James in the 2nd Reading tells us to “show no partiality” with one another in extending that care and compassion especially to the most needy.
What does it mean for us today?
There is a very powerful and important ritual within the Rite of Baptism. It’s called the Ephphatha Prayer. You heard the word in today’s Gospel. It means “Be Opened” and it is a prayer that the priest or deacon says to the newly baptized person while touching his or her ears and mouth with his thumb. It reads, “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May he soon touch your ears to receive his word and your mouth to proclaim His Faith to the praise and glory of God the Father.”
All of us baptized into Christ have received that prayer and are challenged to be willing to open our ears to hear the word of God and be willing to speak that word to others to turn hearts and minds to where God is trying to lead us. Sometimes it’s just a simple greeting, a smile, a kind word of welcome, or just to be present and listen.
Someone once said we’re sort of in a dress rehearsal for the Kingdom to come. We’re not there yet but Jesus brought us closer and now it’s our turn to do our part in extending that effort as we pray, “thy Kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’” Amen?
May Jesus Bless each and every one of you.
July 4
Our Call to Be Prophets
June 6
Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
May 30
Parish Gathering re Altar Enhancement
May 16
Ascension Sunday
May 2
Bearing Good Fruit
April 18
The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms
April 11
Divine Mercy Sunday
March 7
Fasting as a Pillar of Lent
February 21
Lent as a New Beginning
February 14
Lent Invitation from Fr. Lawrence
February 7
Preparing for Lent
January 17
Discerning God's Call
January 3
Epiphany
2020
December 20
Blessed Are You Among Women
December 6
Waiting in Joyful Hope
November 15
Living Our Talents
November 1
Updates from Father Lawrence: Moving back into the Church
October 17/18
Loving Your Neighbor at Election Time
October 10/11
The Heavenly Banquet
September 12/13
Forgiveness and Mercy
August 15/16
Hunger for the Eucharist
August 8/9
Trusting Faith in God
August 1/2
Invitation to 54 Day Rosary Novena
July 25/26
Gratitude from Fr. Lawrence on Installation
July 18/19
I Am Honored to Be Your Pastor
July 11/12
Enoying the Harvest
June 27/28
Living Our Baptism as Disciples
June 20/21
Welcoming Bishop Barber
June 13/14
Corpus Christi
June 6/7
An Invitation
May 23/24
Ascension
May 16/17
Alpha Is Coming
May 9/10
How Long, O Lord?
May 2/3
Engaging You amid 'Shelter in Place'
April 18/19
Divine Mercy Sunday
April 11/12
Easter Sunday
April 4/5
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
March 28/29
The Raising of Lazarus
March 21/22
The Man Born Blind