Jews, Christians, and Muslims Confront Climate Change
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“Let us show mercy to those who are most vulnerable; for only in this way will we build a new world.” CNS documentary service and it mirrors the way the early Christian contents community lived, the pope said at the Mass, 1 Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated privately at Rome’s Church of the Homily Holy Spirit, which houses a shrine dedicated by Pope Francis to Divine Mercy. The Mass was celebrated on 3 Care for Our Common the 20th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s dec- Home: Jews, Christians laration that the Sunday after Easter would and Muslims Confront be celebrated as Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope Climate Change by Father Patrick J. Ryan, Francis spoke in Italian; a Vatican translation SJ of his homily follows, copyright © 2020 by 10 Judaism and the Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Environment by Claudia Setzer ast Sunday we celebrated the Lord’s 13 Islam, Nature and Climate resurrection; today we witness the res- Change Divine Mercy urrection of his disciple. It has already by Muhammad U. been a week, a week since the disciples Faruque lhad seen the risen Lord, but in spite of Sunday Homily 16 Datebook this they remained fearful, cringing behind 16 On File Pope Francis “closed doors” (Jn 20:26), unable even to convince Thomas, the only one absent, of As the world slowly recovers from the COVID- the resurrection. 19 pandemic, there is a risk it will be struck What does Jesus do in the face of this by an even worse virus, that of selfish indiffer- timorous lack of belief? He returns and, ence, Pope Francis said. This dangerous virus standing in the same place, “in the midst” of is “spread by the thought that life is better if the disciples, he repeats his greeting, “Peace it is better for me and that everything will be be with you!” (Jn 20:19, 26). He starts all over. fine if it is fine for me,” he said in his homily at The resurrection of his disciple begins a Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19. “It here, from this faithful and patient mercy, begins there and ends up selecting one person from the discovery that God never tires of over another, discarding the poor and sacrific- reaching out to lift us up when we fall. He ing those left behind on the altar of progress.” wants us to see him not as a taskmaster The current pandemic instead must compel with whom we have to settle accounts but people to prepare for a “collective future” that as our Father who always raises us up. In life April 30, 2020 sees the whole human family as one and holds we go forward tentatively, uncertainly, like Volume 50 all of the earth’s gifts in common in order to a toddler who takes a few steps and falls, Number 1 be shared justly with those in need, he said. a few steps more and falls again; yet each “This is not some ideology: It is Christianity,” continued on page 2 continued from page 1 of faith, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). Humanity has failed to take time his father puts him back on his feet. The Here is the resurrection of the disciple: It care of the earth and its hand that always puts us back on our feet is is accomplished when his frail and wounded inhabitants, sinning against God and his gift of creation, mercy: God knows that without mercy we will humanity enters into that of Jesus. There, every Pope Francis said. remain on the ground, that in order to keep doubt is resolved; there, God becomes my God; Celebrating Earth Day, which walking, we need to be put back on our feet. there, we begin to accept ourselves and to love fell during the “Easter season You may object, “But I keep falling!” The Lord life as it is. of renewal, let us pledge to knows this, and he is always ready to raise you Dear brothers and sisters, in the time of trial love and esteem the beautiful up. He does not want us to keep thinking about that we are presently undergoing, we too, like gift of the earth, our com- our failings; rather, he wants us to look to him. Thomas with our fears and our doubts, have mon home, and to care for For when we fall, he sees children needing to experienced our frailty. We need the Lord, who all members of our human family,” he said during his be put back on their feet; in our failings he sees sees beyond that frailty an irrepressible beauty. livestreamed weekly general children in need of his merciful love. Today, in With him we rediscover how precious we are audience from the Vatican. this church that has become a shrine of mercy even in our vulnerability. The pope dedicated his cat- in Rome and on this Sunday that St. John Paul We discover that we are like beautiful crys- echesis April 22 to a reflection II dedicated to divine mercy 20 years ago, we tals, fragile and at the same time precious. And on the human and Christian confidently welcome this message. if, like crystal, we are transparent before him, responsibility to care for the Jesus said to St. Faustina, “I am love and his light — the light of mercy — will shine in earth, humanity’s common home. The day marked the mercy itself; there is no human misery that us and through us in the world. As the Letter of 50th Earth Day, which was could measure up to my mercy” (Diary, Sept. Peter said, this is a reason for being “filled with established in 1970 to raise 14, 1937). At one time the saint, with satisfac- joy, though now for a little while you may have public awareness and con- tion, told Jesus that she had offered him all of to suffer various trials” (1 Pt 1:6). cern for the environment her life and all that she had. But Jesus’ answer On this feast of Divine Mercy, the most beau- and its impact on people’s stunned her, “You have not offered me the thing tiful message comes from Thomas, the disciple health and all life. This year also marks the fifth anniver- that is truly yours.” What had that holy nun kept who arrived late; he was the only one missing. sary of the pope’s encyclical, for herself? Jesus said to her with kindness, “My But the Lord waited for Thomas. Mercy does not “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our daughter, give me your failings” (Oct. 10, 1937). abandon those who stay behind. Common Home.” We too can ask ourselves: “Have I given my Now, while we are looking forward to a slow In his catechesis, the pope failings to the Lord? Have I let him see me fall so and arduous recovery from the pandemic, there said Earth Day was “an occa- that he can raise me up?” Or is there something I is a danger that we will forget those who are left sion for renewing our com- still keep inside me? A sin, a regret from the past, behind. The risk is that we may then be struck mitment to love and care for our common home and for a wound that I have inside, a grudge against by an even worse virus, that of selfish indiffer- the weaker members of our someone, an idea about a particular person. … ence. A virus spread by the thought that life is human family.” The Lord waits for us to offer him our failings so better if it is better for me, and that everything “As the tragic coronavirus that he can help us experience his mercy. will be fine if it is fine for me. It begins there pandemic has taught us, we Let us go back to the disciples. They had and ends up selecting one person over another, can overcome global chal- abandoned the Lord at his passion and felt discarding the poor and sacrificing those left lenges only by showing soli- guilty. But meeting them, Jesus did not give behind on the altar of progress. darity with one another and embracing the most vulner- a long sermon. To them, who were wounded The present pandemic, however, reminds us able in our midst,” he said. within, he shows his own wounds. that there are no differences or borders between As the Book of Genesis Thomas can now touch them and know of those who suffer. We are all frail, all equal, all relates, he said, “we live in Jesus’ love and how much Jesus had suffered precious. this common home as one for him, even though he had abandoned him. May we be profoundly shaken by what is human family in biodiversity In those wounds, he touches with his hands happening all around us: The time has come with God’s other creatures,” God’s tender closeness. Thomas arrived late, but to eliminate inequalities, to heal the injustice and God has called on once he received mercy he overtook the other that is undermining the health of the entire humanity to care for and respect his creation and “to disciples: He believed not only in the resurrec- human family! Let us learn from the early offer love and compassion to tion but in the boundless love of God. And he Christian community described in the Acts of our brothers and sisters, espe- makes the most simple and beautiful profession the Apostles. It received mercy and lived with cially the most vulnerable among us, in imitation of God’s love for us, manifested ISSN 0093-609X, Origins, CNS Documentary Service, is published weekly (except biweekly during July, August and December's last week) by Catholic News Service, 3211 4th Street N.E., Washington, D.C.