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LAUDATO SI WEEK 2020

22 May 2020, Madurai: Our Blessed Father Francis, in his beautiful canticle, reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. This ‘Laudato Si week 2020’ commemorates the fifth Anniversary of Pope’s Encyclical ‘Praise be to You’.  Pope Francis invites us to show mercy to our common home and care for the creatures. It is an invitation for people especially for the Catholics, based on the theme “Everything is connected”.

Concrete plan makes things easy. We had a good and detailed action plan in connection with Laudato Si week 2020.On 16^th May 2020, the first day of Laudato Si week, we began the celebrations with the process of examination of conscience. It was a beautiful journey through the reflections of Pope Francis which made us to realize the importance to take care of our common home. It was a time of experiencing the presence of God and giving thanks to Him and His creation. Through this examination of conscience, we listened to the cry of the earth and the poor and asked pardon for the shortcomings, hence we decided to re-live with the nature.

So, on the second day, we had beautiful experiences with the nature through the guidance of the group in-charge. We experienced the warmth of the brother sun, the gentle touch of the sister air, embracing the care of the mother earth by walking through clay and the cleansing and freshness of sister water by washing our feet mindfully and drinking fresh water. The next four days, particularly we prayed the rosary for the universal intentions of Holy Father that the people may learn to respect the creation and care for it as a gift of God. We prayed the Rosary in different places united with the nature and on the final day of the Rosary we had the candle light procession with the statue of Mother Mary.

On 22^nd May, which was the day, dedicated to the Divine Mercy of Jesus, pleading mercy for the whole world. The penultimate day, we, individually took pledge to care for creation and stop harming it by means of our disrespect and carelessness.

On the last day of the Laudato Si week, we had a walking meditation for half an hour, after that we gathered together and concluded the ‘Laudato Si week’ with the message of the Holy Father Pope Francis that each creature has its own purpose and none is superfluous.

Being Franciscans, Laudato Si week, was a thought provoking time for us to safeguard our mother earth. Each day led us to be in union with the nature and to pray for it. We promised our prayers for the mother earth and to care for it in our daily life. So that we may make the world a more fitting place for all to live by protecting the whole creation.

 

                                                                                                          ‘Praise be to you my Lord.’

                                                             (Postulants)

 

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