CHALLENING THE STATUS QUO

With his letter “Caring for our common home” Pope Francis has challenged all who care for our world to examine their basic values and perspectives, to see what changes we may need to make personally and socially to ensure we are caring well for our common home. The letter is about our interconnectedness with all of creation, animate and inanimate, sentient and non sentient. Our common home is the world of nature and the world of humanity. Pollution is a problem with water, land and air and also with human relations, respect for life and care for the weakest and most vulnerable. You who live and work in the market places of the world know so well the values of those you live and work with. Download the letter or buy a copy, read it, digest it and make your own journey with its challenges.

We as missionary disciples of Our Lord are sent out by him to call people to turn around and see the world with the eyes of the one through whom all creation came to be. Jesus sent the twelve out in pairs to companion each other and review together what they did. Their mission had three elements: preach, deliver and cure. People only have a chance of changing direction (repentance) if they hear their possibilities. They can only be freed from the inner demons that beset them if goodness and love breaks the grip they have let these inner demons have on them. They will come to health and well being as the oil of acceptance, love and compassion penetrates their flesh. This was the mission of the twelve and is still the mission for us.

Be prepared for different reactions as you voice opinions life this. If there is acceptance, rejoice. If there is rejection because you are out of sync with public opinion, that questions of mortality are for pulpits not pubs or market places, know that you are in company with the likes of Amos from the first reading. He was no professional God spokesman. He was a shepherd, tree keeper chosen by God to challenge the social inequality and exploitation of the poor of his society centuries before Christ.

The voices like his and yours are the signs of God’s interest and involvement in this common home of ours. Love it in its totality. Be passionate about its health and well being and breathe in deeply the goodness that comes from the heart of the Trinity.

Father Adrian Farrelly