January 4. May the mountains bring forth peace for the people.  Bruce, their scripture guide, highlighted the way the Bible expresses ideas in the context of the time. In the psalms you read of a king’s judgement and justice of a king’s son. Or it uses images of nature, like mountains, hills and rivers, almost personalising them. It is a holistic way of thinking, expressing continuity, in a family and creation as a family.  To respond and act meaningfully we can learn how to contextualise biblical passages and interpret and apply them in our own day and to our own situations.  Becoming an eco-friendly family:  Discuss Laudato Si goal No 3. Ecological economics. Go to    http://www.laudatosiactionplatform.org 

God give your judgement to the king, to a king’s son your justice, that he may judge your people in justice and your poor in right judgement. May the mountains bring forth peace for the people and the hills justice, may he defend the poor of the people and save the children of the needy.  Psalm 72.  Pope Francis. The deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet.  Depletion of fishing reserves hurts small fishing communities; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot afford to buy bottled water. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor and in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources for them. LS 48.