The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is a unique collaboration between the Vatican, an international coalition of Catholic organizations, and “all men and women of good will.” (LS 3)
At this kairos moment, we are responding to the call for healing in our relationships with God, our neighbors, and the Earth itself. Through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, we are walking the “path to renewal” together (LS 202). www.laudatosiactionplatform.org
The St. Anne Creation Care Committee is working closely with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Vatican in preparation of the opening of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform on November 14, 2021. We are very proud of their efforts in sharing the important message and initiatives of Laudato Si’ across our faith community, with others across the diocese and the world. All are invited to walk on this journey!
Today we consider the goal of Ecological Spirituality.
Ecological spirituality is living our faith through the care for all of creation. Creation is God’s great gift of love for us that we have been given to care for. When we take the time to be in nature and appreciate the wonder and joy of all living things, we deepen our connection and relationship with our Creator. Ecological Spirituality is giving praise and gratitude to God through reflection, prayer, caring actions, and being in communion with each other. It is also a journey, walking with Jesus, in caring for our common home, the poor, and the vulnerable.
Laudato Si’ teaches us that “everything is connected.” (LS 91) As our relationship with our divine Creator has been neglected, human relationships have faltered, and our world has grown hotter, less stable, and more lifeless. As a result, we all suffer, and the poorest and most vulnerable suffer above all. We face a “complex crisis that is both social and environmental.” (LS 139)
As individuals, as families, and as a faith community—we can begin by reflecting on what are we currently doing to appreciate, pray for, love, and protect creation…in our homes, our church, in our community, and our world. We must acknowledge our own participation in the problems that face our common home. In what areas can we do more? What steps can we take? With whom can we work to make a difference? There is hope. Pope Francis calls us to develop a “loving awareness” of this home we share and to act on the values we hold dear. (LS 220)