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CLIMATE CHANGE

A LENTEN JOURNEY | WEEK 5 | March 21, 2021

Welcome to our fifth week of the Laudato Si’ Circle Lenten Journey! Each week we've been sharing a new theme that will encourage us to grow deeper in our love, knowledge, and concern for creation. Follow our mediation and reflection prompt, research and reading resources, and suggested action steps.

Meditation:

Read Sirach 42:15-43:33

“As the rising of the sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all his works…” 

  • Hymn of praise to God for his power, beauty, and goodness as manifested in the mighty work of creating and preserving the universe.

  • An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyles and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence “must not be contrived but found, uncovered.” (Evangelii Gaudium, §225) 

Take a moment to reflect on these questions. 

  • If sustainability is the capacity to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future  generations to meet their own needs, then how can we not work toward a sustainable future?

  • In what ways do I enjoy the benefits of the climate - fresh air, fresh food, outdoor spaces to enjoy, water to drink, etc?

  • What actions do I take to preserve and support those things? To an outside observer, would my lifestyle suggest active or passive stewardship of the environment? 

  • Do I practice particular actions and sacrifices for the sake of these environmental goods, or do I always act on convenience?

 
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Research/Reading:

In-Depth Discussion of Laudato Si, Chapter II – bit.ly/lsc51

Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, offers a comprehensive discussion (18-min) of Chapter II of Laudato Si, which describes the environmental crises facing our world, especially climate change.

  • Another option is a talk Pope Francis gave last fall on climate change. – bit.ly/lsc52 (This talk is in Spanish, so you may need to enable English subtitles by clicking on the “cc” button on the YouTube video)

Read from Laudato Si 

Read Paragraphs #20-26, which explain the crisis of climate change in a clear and concise manner. For quick access to the encyclical, scan the QR code with you phone's camera. 

Message from Young Catholics in Africa and Australia  – bit.ly/lsc0503

A video message from young Catholics in Australia and from Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA) about how climate change is already impacting their communities and the importance of climate action.

 

Action:

  1. Carbon Footprint Calculator  – There are a lot of different ways to measure our environmental impacts. One that’s really common is a carbon footprint calculator.  

    Use this Carbon footprint calculator to learn about the contributors to your own carbon footprint. Take time to gather information on your utility bills, grocery spending and consumption, and gasoline consumption. https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/ 

    After using the calculator, select one of the recommendations, make a plan, and commit to it for the rest of Lent and the Easter season. Then check in again and see how you’re doing.

  2. Take advantage of National Grid’s energy saving offers & tips at nationalgridus.com/Upstate-NY-Home/Energy-Saving-Tips/ 

  3. Identify a particular lifestyle choice that you make out of convenience, and make a commitment to make different decisions specifically for the sake of the environment. Make the commitment along with someone else - hold each other accvountable!

 
 
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