Caring for Our Home
“Jesus said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’” (Luke 12:54-56)
“Jesus said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’” (Luke 12:54-56)
I am writing this reflection just a few days after Hurricane Helene and a few days before Hurricane Milton impacted our Tampa Bay area and the whole state of Florida. The storm surge during high tide brought historic amounts of flooding in some areas. It will take months, maybe even years for some to rebuild. We pray for all who are affected and for those mourning the loss of loved ones. Please consider helping if you have not already done so.
Today’s Gospel talks about interpreting the appearance of the earth, sky and the present time. Reading it reminded me of Pope Francis. He has been outspoken on how it is our responsibility to care of our common home.
Here are some quotes from Pope Francis to reflect upon:
- "A Christian who doesn't safeguard creation, who doesn't make it flourish, is a Christian who isn't concerned with God's work that work born of God's love for us."
- "Our common home is being pillaged, laid waste and harmed with impunity. Cowardice in defending it is a grave sin."
- "We received this world as an inheritance from past generations, but also as a loan from future generations, to whom we will have to return it!"
- "We must never forget that the natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone,"
Consider reading his encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home).
What can you do in your home and community to take care of our common home?
St. Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology, we pray that we learn to follow your example to be concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. May we grow to be open hearted, to love with joy, and to be generous to others. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
José Orlando (Landy) Colón was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His journey to faith started as a teenager after accepting Christ during a Juan XXIII weekend retreat. He has been a resident of the Tampa Bay area since November 2000. Landy is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. He is serving as Liturgy Committee chair and Eucharistic Minister at Resurrection Catholic Church in Riverview. He is also blessed to serve as chair of the Diocesan Hispanic Commission under the Intercultural Ministries of our diocese. His wife Judi and Landy completed the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute program (dosp.org/lpmi) in June of 2023. They have two married daughters, and are the caregivers of Judi’s mother. Landy is a firm believer of second chances, that compassion and mercy are vital to evangelize, and that we should trust God under all circumstances.