March 27. “This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord, their God, and did not accept discipline, Stephen, a lawyer said,  “It is difficult to legislate for the common good and for things like ecological conversion. It has been very interesting to see how much money and energy has gone into fighting events like the Covid-19 virus.  Over time climate change has gone way down on the public agenda even though it is even more urgent and serious in the long term.  It may be less clearly identifiable, but shouldn’t be. We have all seen recent climate catastrophes even closer to home.“ Joyce added, “Activists and the popes too have spoken about it for many years as part of Catholic Social Teaching, it has not become a mainstream issue and with the US President taking a negative stance who knows what will happen. Who has studied Laudato Si? How many people have measured their carbon footprint?     Humanitarian or human goods are hard to enforce but should be promoted. Pope Francis’s Fratelli Tutti, calls for social friendship beyond Catholic believers.  We humans are the element of creation that can make decisions   We cannot expect the animal kingdom or the plant kingdom to do that.” 

Reflect, share and act. Scripture: You shall call to them but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, “This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord, their God, and did not accept discipline, truth has perished, it is cut off from their lips. Jer. 7:23-28.  Pope Francis:   A journey of peace is possible between religions. Its point of departure must be God’s way of seeing things. God’s love is the same for everyone, regardless of religion. It follows that we believers need to find occasions to speak with one another and to act together for the common good and the poor.  This has nothing to do with watering down or concealing our deepest convictions. FT 281-2.  JUBILEE. A heartfelt appeal I make in the light of the Jubilee is directed to the more affluent nations. I ask that they acknowledge the gravity of so many of their past decisions and determine to forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them. More than generosity, this is a matter of justice.    More serious today is the  ‘ecological debt’ that exists, particularly between the global North and South, connected to commercial imbalances with effects on the environment and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time”. As sacred Scripture teaches, the earth is the Lord’s and all of . us dwell in it as “aliens and tenants” ( Lev 25:23). If we really wish to prepare a path to peace in our world, let us commit ourselves to remedying the remote causes of injustice, settling unjust and unpayable debts, and feeding the hungry. SNC 16.  Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list, also published at www.marfam.org.za