MARFAM’S FAMILY MATTERS, WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER 25 SEPTEMBER 2024

Maybe this reflection, THERE IS HELP, THERE IS HOPE, adapted from the MARFAM booklet Becoming Eco-Friendly Families should have been used last weekend when as reported widely in SA news some1800 vehicles were stuck in deep snow facing very hazardous conditions on the roads between KZN and Gauteng.   Was there help and was there hope?  No doubt there was anxiety, even panic. Although there were some people stuck in their cars for up to 2 days, disaster management, emergency services, humanitarian organisations and locals in the area  jumped into action and did what they could to help.  Although it was a very serious situation, only one death has been reported and on top of the great discomfort there was plenty of camaraderie and lots of fun appears to have been had, with snowball fights and building of snowpeople (inclusive language use) All this in the lead-up to the South African Heritage Day public holiday.  And that will no doubt be the best memory of this holiday, never mind that this is a clear example of climate change and the severe weather conditions to be expected. 

Other parts of the country have already had their share of wind, rain, floods and fire in the last few months, challenging the words of praise of the Canticle of St Francis .  “Be praised my Lord for Brother Wind,….. Sister Water,…..and Brother Fire, who may be beautiful and playful and robust and strong but can be its very opposite too.  These thoughts of mine are mainly about the elements of Mother Earth in the context of the Season of Creation and its theme “Hope and Action with Creation.”  

This week I also put the focus on the Society of St Vincent de Paul, seen here at St Charles, Victory Park commemorating the upcoming feastday on 27 September. Their ministry is to the poor and they continue to play a very important role in so many parishes, working on the ground on a daily basis. Climate change related disasters contribute greatly to poverty in affected areas especially.

However nature’s abuse i.e. all these climate induced hazards, which of course are also the result of human action, are nothing compared to the hopelessness and helplessness experienced by millions of people caught in the dangers and uncertainties of the growing risks of war in different parts of the world that we see and hear about constantly. How hopeless and helpless are they, at the mercy of the power-hungry and politicians, of terrorists and war criminals, or label them attackers and defenders, who nevertheless refuse to seriously talk of peace and act for peace?  Thousands of lives are lost but what also is the environmental harm as a result of the use of weapons?  Do Pope Francis’ many messages for so many situations not address the need to live out of God-love and act for the common good?     Pope Francis from message for Day of Prayer for Creation, September 1. The life of a Christian, is one of faith, active in charity and abounding in hope, as we await the Lord’s return in glory. We are not troubled by the “delay” of Christ’s second coming; for us the important question is “when the Son of man comes, he will find faith on earth” (Lk 18:8). Faith is a gift, the fruit of the Spirit’s presence in us, but it is also a task to be undertaken freely, in obedience to Jesus’ commandment of love. Such is the blessed hope to which we must bear witness. Yet where, when, and how are we to bear that witness? Surely by caring for the flesh of suffering humanity. As people who dare to dream, we must dream with our eyes wide open, impelled by a desire for love, fraternity, friendship and justice for all.

Christian salvation enters into the depths of the world’s suffering, which embraces not only humanity but also the entire universe, nature itself, and the oikos, the home and living environment of humanity. Salvation embraces creation as an “earthly paradise,” mother earth, which is meant to be a place of joy and a promise of happiness for all. Our Christian optimism is founded on a living hope: it realizes that everything is ordered to the glory of God, to final consummation in his peace and to bodily resurrection in righteousness, as we pass “from glory to glory.” We are not exempt from pain and suffering: the whole creation groans (cf. Rom 8:19-22), we Christians groan (cf. vv. 23-25) and the Spirit himself groans (cf. vv. 26-27). This expresses apprehension and suffering, together with longing and desire. It speaks of our trust in God and our reliance on his loving yet demanding presence as we look forward to the fulfilment of his plan, which is joy, love and peace in the Holy Spirit.  TR. FAMILY WEEKLY 25 SEPTEMBER. 2024                  

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY SEPTEMBER 25.

THERE IS HELP, THERE IS HOPE.   (From BECOMING ECO-FRIENDLY FAMILIES)

For us believers, Christians, or members of other religious faiths, even if our life and our particular situation seems hopeless and we are helpless, or feel helpless, our trust in God can sustain us.  Practical help comes from somewhere, from God, our sense of community and most often our family members are the first recourse. 

How can the effects of climate change be so devastating for us and our family? Have we given up hope? Weather related conditions can be slow torture or quick devastation. Drought and heat are a slow creeping disaster, with the constant hope for rain to bring relief.  Hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes can bring wind, excessive rain and floods bringing sudden, even unexpected destruction. Hope for things to change and for relief remains, and help is provided by private, community or government resources.

 Pope Francis in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti  gave the example of the Covid pandemic where in spite of the fear and anxiety so many ordinary people came to the rescue and helped where they could: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, storekeepers, cleaners,  transport and public safety workers and many volunteers. 

Reflect, share, act. Scripture: Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases and he sent them out to preach the Kingdom. “Take nothing with you,” he told them.”  Luke 9:1-6. Pope Francis: Patriarch Bartholomew asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, learning to give and not simply to give up.  It is a way of loving and moving away from what I want to what God’s world needs.  LS9.

 Pope Francis message for Day of Prayer for Creation is quoted above…   We are not exempt from pain and suffering: the whole creation groans (cf. Rom 8:19-22), we Christians groan (cf. vv. 23-25) and the Spirit himself groans (cf. vv. 26-27). This expresses apprehension and suffering, together with longing and desire. It speaks of our trust in God and our reliance on his loving yet demanding presence as we look forward to the fulfilment of his plan, which is joy, love and peace in the Holy Spirit.                   

Eco-tip and prayer:  Healing the damage to the world demands action and changes in behaviour, not hope alone. . Discuss, adopt and promote Reuse-Reduce-Recycle, as a practical campaign but also as part of a prayer campaign for the care of creation in one’s wider community. Pray, Glory be to the Father………