July 8th.   “You know we oldies still have something to offer.   I am happy to do some mentoring to the unemployed youth to try to teach them some practical skills. We women can teach sewing and knitting and the men can teach carpentry, electrics or other technical skills too. Many of these can be helpful in the overall care of creation too.”  “We tried that. I thought it would be easy, and that the youth were keen to learn.  But sometimes I get despondent as I have to beg them to come rather than them coming forward to ask us for help.”   

Scripture:   The Lord says, ‘return O Israel for you have stumbled because of your iniquities.   I will heal their faithlessness.  I will love them freely for my anger has turned from them.   Whoever is wise, let him understand these things, whoever is discerning, let him know them, for the ways of the Lord are right and the upright walk in them. But transgressors stumble in them. Hosea 14:1-9.  Pope Francis:  Australian bishops spoke of the importance of personal conversion for achieving reconciliation with creation. ‘To achieve such reconciliation, we must examine our lives and acknowledge the ways in which we have harmed God’s creation through our action and our failure to act. We need a conversion or change of heart.’  LS 218