The Holy Father’s Intentions: The Cry of the Earth

Before I was into my faith, I was all about saving the Earth. I was just a kid and thought I could do my part by picking up litter and recycling. 

My priorities have shifted over the years, but I still care about the Earth we live on, and I abhor litter. I am saddened to see and hear about waste, excess, and activities that destroy natural beauty.

A while back, a fellow missionary shared with me that when she first moved to the remote town where her family was to serve, she didn’t see any trash bins or dumpsters. So she asked a neighbor where to dispose of the trash. The neighbor led her down a path to the river and told her to throw her trash there. Yikes!

In some places in the world, disposable products and packaged foods have arrived before proper trash disposal. So, sadly, the people are left with no choice but to dispose of their garbage in the river. 

I thought about all this when I read the Holy Father’s intention for the month of September:

We pray that each one of us will hear and take to heart the cry of the Earth and of victims of natural disasters and climatic change, and that all will undertake to personally care for the world in which we live.

We may think that there are much more pressing needs in the Church and the world today. But the Holy Father chose this intention for a reason. It is important to care for our home here on Earth, temporary though it may be, to help make it a more beautiful place.

It is good to evaluate how our choices affect the Earth and the good of others. Are we wasteful (with food and other resources)? Do we choose cheap fast fashion over well-made clothing? Are there ways that we are called to be more conservative in our use of resources?

And as the Holy Father urges us, it is so important to pray for protection from natural disasters and for those who are victims of these disasters, especially as hurricane season is upon us. Tropical storms tend to hit some of the most vulnerable areas around the world where the poor are already struggling to make a living and to provide a worthy place for their families to live.

So let us unite our prayers with the Holy Father’s and pray for these intentions this month.