February 2024
Lent begins:
the welcome season for reflection and action through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Below are some resources for contemplating Care for Creation with the lengthening of the days:
The Laudato Si movement builds on the theme “Stop and listen”.
Resources include an ecological stations of the cross, and a calendar for the 40 days.
Every Sunday, the calendar will propose a meditation on the Gospel. Every weekday, a small reflection or image will be offered to “stop and listen” for a few minutes at a fixed time each day. Every week, the reflections will be focused on a different theme to explore some dimensions of the ecological challenges we’re facing in Europe. https://laudatosilent.org/
Climate Stewards (part of A Rocha, the international Christian group of conservation organisations) offer suggestions for a 7 week fast with a difference. See here for an overview: https://www.climatestewards.org/resources/carbon-fast/
Lent Vigil ‘No Faith in Fossil Fuels’ is to be held outside Westminster for 10 days from Ash Wednesday. The vigil will be a relay, where people take it in turns to participate for a period of time across the 10 days. Supporters are invited to bring church groups, family and friends. It begins with an Ash Wednesday Service at St John’s Church, Waterloo, and closes with a service outside Downing Street on Saturday 24th February. This is an ecumenical effort, organised by Christian Climate Action, Green Christian, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, A Rocha, Operation Noah and the Salvation Army. The purpose is to stand witness and pray together for creation, for our global neighbours and for bold climate action from the UK Government. There will be a regular Catholic presence. A daily rosary will be led by a Columban Sister at midday, and several Laudato Si Animators* are holding vigil through the night. We may not support them in person (I aim to attend for several hours on Wednesday 21st) but please pray for this communal effort of faith and hope, and consider offering a daily rosary in companionship. https://columbans.co.uk/justice-peace/13604//
An article by Laudato Si Animator* Virginia Bell observes the different ways friends and family mark Lent – from the traditional giving up of something and variations, to taking on a positive practice such as regular meditation.
https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/49098
*(Laudato Si’ Animators are members of the Laudato Si Movement, a global community of prayer and action, who advocate for climate and ecological Justice. https://laudatosianimators.org/ )
Cafod promotes almsgiving – Lent Fast Day and the sponsored Big Lent Walk – and offers a series of daily reflections and prayers for the season. https://cafod.org.uk/pray/lent-calendar/
Finally a reminder of the NJPN online networking day on Saturday February 24 concerning environmental justice, causes of conflict and ideas for local action. https://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/meetings/
Jubilee
Hallam diocese has begun preparatory prayer and meetings for Jubilee 2025. Pope Francis asks us to be Pilgrims of Hope and.one of the Jubilee themes is Care for Creation:
‘In the realization that all of us are pilgrims on this earth, which the Lord has charged us to till and keep (cf. Gen 2:15), may we never fail, in the course of our sojourn, to contemplate the beauty of creation and care for our common home. It is my hope that the coming Jubilee Year will be celebrated and experienced with this intention too. Growing numbers of men and women, including many young people and children, have come to realize that care for creation is an essential expression of our faith in God and our obedience to his will.’
Two reflections on hope from Green Christian magazine January 2024 https://greenchristian.org.uk/
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31
‘Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.’ (St. Augustine of Hippo 354-430 AD)
Just Money considerations (justmoney.org.uk)
Since January’s update a number of interested lay people in the diocese are considering the question of ethical finance. One line of research is into existing credit unions which work for the good of their community, whether run by a church or by the local district – e.g.towns within South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire. Please get in touch ([email protected]) if your parish has experience of one.
The question of individual, parish and diocesan banking persists. Sheffield Anglican Cathedral have announced that they are changing their bank due to ethical considerations of its business links. It will be interesting to discover to which bank they decide to move their account.
The Catholic publisher and theologian Joseph Kelly, commenting on the reduction of public funds for mitigation of climate change recently wrote in the Catholic Network:
It’s a dreadful irony that these reductions in public spending which might otherwise help to save the planet, are being driven by the increasing need to build and use weapons of war, and the obsessive drive towards consumerism and other ephemeral commodities that few of us really need.
