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Preparing for November

Oct23

“. . . hallowed be Thy name . . . .”

images-1Halloween, celebrated October 31st, was originally an “evening-before” celebration of those considered “hallowed” — holy, sacred, blessed, revered — and who are remembered November 1st on All Saints Day. The Catholic Church and several Protestant denominations in North America dedicate the entire month of November to remembrance of the dead. Originally, people limited their thoughts in November to deceased humans, but as our knowledge of the interconnections among all creation has grown, we realize that humans cannot be separated from the rest of creation.

Just as trees in the Northern Hemisphere lose their leaves in order to catchimages maximum sunlight during the cold days of winter, so all of nature calls us to remember that what seems like death is a promise of, and requirement for, new life. In the Gospels, Jesus reminded us that seeds must die in order to bear fruit. The image applies to humans and to everything else in creation. It was a natural process in the evolution of nature.

But that natural process is being violated by human-caused global warming (and other problems). Changes are coming too quickly for nature to respond to the threats. Death is now bringing extinction rather than new life. 

What about birds? 

Bald_Eagle_BeckyLundeen-AudubonPhotographyAwardFor years scientists have been telling us that the ranges of bears, butterflies, and many other species are shifting north and toward the poles; that bird migrations are changing time and course; and that pollinators are trying to adjust to new flowering schedules. These alarming observations are only the beginning.

The October 2014 Climate Change Report from Audubon warns that shrinking and shifting ranges could imperil nearly half of U.S. birds within this century. (Many of the children born this year will live that long.) 314 North American bird species are threatened with extinction. This includes the possible extinction by 2080 of the state birds of ten states and also of the American eagle. (For an overview of the report, see  climate.audubon.org/article/audubon-report-glance.)

Video: Unless the Seed Dies

In preparation for November and our remembrance of deceased loved ones, and more recently also of extinct species and ruined ecosystems, I am posting a video I made years ago for the Sister of the Holy Child Jesus’s monthly meditation series. I hope you will deepen your belief, as you watch, that all creation is hallowed; that divinity lives and acts in it all, without exception; that we who are the consciousness of the universe have responsibilities to it all.

(Because of that setting, it includes references to Cornelia Connelly, the woman who began the SHCJ. For a brief account of the life of this fascinating woman, see http://www.mayfieldsenior.org/about/Cornelia-Connelly.)

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For the video Unless the Seed Dies, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf-z2Q82W2E

 

How do you plan to honor the hallowed dead and the hallowed extinct species this November? 

Advent Group Resource

Oct6

ADVENT

Although we’ve not yet celebrated Hallowe’en or Thanksgiving, some are already planning for Advent, Nativitythe first season of the Christian church year devoted to preparing to celebrate Christmas. Christmas, in turn, celebrates the Incarnation, the embodiment of divinity in Jesus’ humanity. (Cf. my Advent blog Nov. 17, 2013.)

The Incarnation is a Mystery that a lifetime of contemplation would not exhaust. Advent is the time when we are specifically called to deepen this contemplation. Many individuals and groups use various materials to help them use well this prayer time. My contribution is Advent in the New Universe Story. It offers one page per week to explore the place and significance of the Christian story within the 13.8 billion years of creation. Theologians and others are writing about the transitions needed for this integration, and these Advent pages contain some of their insights.

Advent in the New Universe Story will be available in French and Spanish as well as in English. The English version is now available.

The four weeks include the following:
New Consciousness, New Christian Understanding
The Cosmos Prepares for New Life
Evolving Understanding of Humanity’s Place in Creation
Incarnation Revisited

Universe-Sandbox-20130429-185438The resource contains suggestions for the convener, and the weeks include excerpts from that Sunday’s Scripture readings, information, time for prayer and for sharing, and suggestions for further reading.

I am indebted to the Society of the Holy Child for supporting my ministry and, for Advent in the New Universe Story, to T.J. Murphy for checking the science, to John Surette, S.J. for checking the theology, and to Nancy Frommelt, O.S.F. for fine tuning the text. I am also indebted to those who gather to use my resources; their feedback contributes significantly to future resources.

To find this resource, go to Advent on my website.

Commitments to Reduce Climate Change

Sep3

draft_lens2283503_1307876462global_warming_makes_me_sAs a woman religious, I am proud that members of my American Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ) have made a strong commitment to help reduce climate change. So, too, have the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM). They represent a majority of women and men religious in the United States. This is not new for these groups, as members and institutions have taken many positive steps over past years. The recent statements from these groups highlight the urgency of reducing this increasingly dangerous reality.

We are far from singular in our commitment: many groups have pledged to respond to this peril. (Let us know in Comments if your church/synagogue or other group has done so.) The People’s Climate March September 21st is another way many will express their commitment to reducing climate change.

SHCJ 

The SHCJ, called by our foundress Cornelia Connelly to “meet the needs of our age,” corneliacollagehas already
taken steps to reduce our personal and corporate carbon footprints. (For example, we have transitioned to renewable energy.) We recently strongly agreed to the following statement:

We, the Sisters of the American Province of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, compelled by the gospel and by our mission to help others believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world, are concerned for all of God’s creation including our sisters and brothers everywhere. We accept scientific evidence that climate change is happening and is caused in great part by human activity. Earth, which reflects God’s glory, is in great peril. Therefore, we publicly state our commitment by taking action to help reduce this danger.

SHCJ Action Steps

We pledge to be aware and pray over recent scientific reports and Church statements and to invite family, friends and colleagues to join with us.

We urge our government officials to join the world community to enact legislation which will reduce the emissions of global greenhouse gas and support clean energy. We give authorization to our province Leadership Team to act in our regard in this regard.

We commit ourselves to reduce carbon emissions by our activities and life styles so that all God’s people, particularly the poor and vulnerable, will not suffer the devastating consequences of climate change. We recognize that what we do to earth, we do to ourselves. Therefore, as Holy Child Sisters we commit ourselves to support ALL life on Earth.

LCWR and CMSM

images-1LCWR represent more than 86,000 (about 80%) of the country’s Catholic sisters, while CMSM represents US leaders of orders of Catholic priests and  brothers. Media often highlights the complex relationship between the Vatican and the sisters — and that is news. But not to be missed is the sisters’ commitment to the issues they feel called to address.

Meeting together August 1-4, 2014, LCWR and CMSM leaders issued a joint resolution calling their members to work for action on climate change. The two conferences resolved to seek concrete ways to curb environmental degradation, mitigate its impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people, and restore right relationships among all God’s creation; and to foster a consciousness of care for God’s creation among all our members, colleagues, institutions and those whom we serve. 

The leaders noted that the increase in temperature on the earth will likely have wide-spread consequences, from mass extinctions to devastating impacts on the lives and livelihoods of the poorest and most vulnerable human beings.

Meeting later in August, the LCWR membership passed a more focused resolution to promote the national transition from fossil fuel energy sources to renewable energy sources as soon as possible.

Other Congregations Take Action

The Franciscan Sisters of Mary have made the decision to divest from fossil fuel production and invest in entrepreneurs and companies that promote clean, sustainable energy solutions. For more information, see the press release:  http://www.fsmonline.org/news/article/582

People’s Climate March

The People’s Climate March in New York City on Sunday, September 21st, will see hundreds of thousands of people show their commitment to reducing global warming and the harm it is already causing, especially to poor people and other species throughout the world. Marchers, and those throughout the country who will be praying and taking local action, hope they will influence participants at the UN Climate Summit on September 23.

Everyone?

The sisters appreciate the support given by people concerned about the situation with the imagesVatican, and we appreciate prayers for its positive resolution. We also appreciate, and hope to  engender, support for issues we consider most vital: care of creation and the interconnected concern for people suffering from  poverty, trafficking, violence, and injustice.

What could happen if a groundswell of US citizens, including politicians, recognized the religious, economic, and political advantages of taking action to reduce global warming? What is your vision?