The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Ohio Province has responded to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform by creating the Dorothy Stang Initiative for Laudato Si’ Action. While in the process of gathering data from sisters, associates, staff, donors and others in our circle, we were reminded that all steps we take are important - both big and small. We therefore introduce Your Little Bit of Good, a short weekly one-pager that focuses on some aspect of the environment. It is an attempt to bring forward small things we can do.
Teresa Phillips
Director of Justice, Peace and Care for Creation
Prayer
God of the sun and moon, of the mountains, deserts and plains;
God of the oceans, rivers, lakes and streams;
God of every living thing that grows and moves on this sacred Earth, we are formed by Christ into your people.
We are called to bring the world into your marvelous light.
As the Body of Christ, we are messengers of ecological vocation. We have been entrusted with caring for your creation.
Help us to love and respect it, to repair what we have damaged, to care for what you have made good and holy.
Give us the wisdom and the passion to change our minds, our hearts and our ways.
Let us be the change we pray for, bringing about ecological conversion which spreads to every corner of the Earth;
for our sake now and for every generation to come.
Amen.
Origin unknown
Knowledge
“Happy Earth Day!” I’ve been hearing that statement all day today. I wonder if people really know what it means. Like Christmas, I wonder if the original intent of Earth Day has been lost to all but those who are connected to it’s origins. I have heard commercials on the radio today for nurseries and home stores highlighting Earth Day to sell their flowers. I wonder if they are aware whether or not those flowers have been treated with neonicotinoids — those pesky bee killing pesticides. Earth Day is not a day to just simply plant a flower, or even a tree. In spring 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to try to force the national political conversation to address air and water pollution. Before that, there was no EPA or legislation that protected clean air and water. Earth Day should be EVERY DAY. This is our only planet. We are the ones who need to care for it.
Action
History of Earth Day can be found here.
The Earth Day website is a great place to find out how you can take action. Click here. There are a lot of ways you can advocate for our earth today—and every day!
Watch the Catholic Health Association of the United State’s Earth Day webinar here.
If you belong to a Catholic parish, ask your pastor or parish staff if you have enrolled in the Holy Father’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform. This is a global call to all Catholics from Pope Francis to engage in his encyclical on caring for our common home. See details here.