Widen the Horizons of Your Heart (Pope Francis)
The Milky Way over Yellowstone | The Abyss Pool in Yellowstone National Park.
Image credit: Dave Lane
Here we are on the First Sunday of Advent. We have been here before, many times. Over the years, different themes have paved the way for us through these four weeks of Advent towards Christmas. As I cast a backward glance over this past year, what stands out is how so many dark things have engulfed our earth this year. Never-ending human tragedies, riots and strikes as well as indescribable natural disasters … fires, floods, droughts – to just name a few. Our poor planet is in deep trouble. We are in trouble. However, valiant efforts are being made to turn things around. On the forefront are conservationists addressing the issue of climate change. In 2015, Pope Francis gave us Laudato ‘Si and this year he convened the Amazon Synod to encourage all of us, you and me, to take better care of our beautiful planet, our common home. And in this Sunday’s Epistle we hear St. Paul’s clarion call: “You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep … let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light … “ Romans 13:11-12.
In his Advent message last year, Pope Francis urged us to, “widen the horizons of our hearts.” Widen them for what? To lay aside the works of darkness. You might take umbrage with that statement. But have we not all contributed to the state of our planet to some extend? Each of us has a vital role to play in protecting our ailing earth for, “We have become a planetary species, a planetary power, and the future shape of life on our earth depends on us recognizing this reality and making different choices—NOW!” -Mary Southard, CSJ.
Advent is a good time to take stock of how we have contributed to the sad state of our world. Young people are speaking up, pleading for a change of heart in each one of us. Last December, sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg addressed world leaders at the UN regarding climate change. Here in Canada a group of young people are bringing suit against the government over climate change, saying government inaction is causing climate change and hurting their future. What are we doing to help turn things around? What efforts are you and I making to be present and respond to this greatest challenge we humans have ever faced?
Perhaps, like me, you have read and were inspired by Chris Hadfield’s book An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth. He wrote this about our beautiful earth, “The world, when you look at it, it just can't be random. I mean, it's so different than the vast emptiness that is everything else, and even all the other planets we've seen, at least in our solar system, none of them even remotely resemble the precious life-giving nature of our own planet.” Let us inscribe these words, our life-giving planet, on our minds and hearts. As we prepare to celebrate the dawn of the Light among us, may our Advent journeying strengthen us to shoulder our responsibility to care for our planet.
- Sr. Magdalena Vogt, cps
Art work by Mary Southard, CSJ