“Son of God,Jesus, through you all things were made. You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother, and became part of the earth, and you gazed upon this world with human eyes. Today you are alive in every creature in your risen glory.”
(From “A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation”, Laudato Si` Prayers – Catholic.org )
During Lent we have spent forty days developing a closer relationship with God through prayer, sacrifice (simple living – self denial) and almsgiving. By the changes we made over these six and a half weeks, we have most likely experienced a deeper awareness of God in our life, perhaps we have taken action to integrate some of the changes into our daily routines.
Last year as the pandemic struck, life changed and limitations were put on our activities. A deadly disease had hit our world. There was fear throughout society and caution limited our daily interactions. But as spring approaches and we have learned that activities are safer outside we can now enjoy the spring time and go out to enjoy the beauty in nature.
Just as we have undergone many sacrifices during Lent, we continue to sacrifice for the health of our community, our neighbors and as stewards for God’s creation in our shared Common Home. May we continue to experience the joy of the Easter Message! Jesus tells us to follow Him. “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Let us rejoice with open hearts as we follow in Jesus’s path with faith, hope and love caring for one another and for our Common Home as Pope Francis has been teaching us in his exhortation of Laudato Si`.