Thursday, June 04, 2015

Mother Earth

Later this month Pope Francis will release his encyclical on the environment – on God’s creation. To celebrate this I'd like to offer a few photos for your contemplation. 

It is reported that he will use words from St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun as the opening words – “Praised be…” 

Near San Damiano, Assisi
In that Canticle, Francis praises the God of creation and addresses all that is made as his sisters and brothers – 

Brother Sun, 


Sister Moon, 


Sister Water, 

Water spigot in Assisi
Brother Fire:

Easter Fire
Brother Wind, Brother Death, and even Mother Earth.


 Living in the countryside since last December, I have often been moved by the beauty of nature:

The flowering trees:

Acacia - Arbol del fuego (fire tree)


The beautiful landscapes:



The cicadas and birds that sing outside my window:

Chiquirín - cicada

The izote and coffee bushes in flower:

Flor de izote
Coffee in bloom
Even the spider web, sparkling in the dew:


And so much more.

But I also see the devastation that humans are wreaking on Mother Earth:

Trees are being cut down to enlarge coffee farms.


Hillsides are being burnt – to provide for grazing lands or more coffee fields.


 People build with little concern for the effects on nature. Trash is just thrown wherever.


I pray that we may begin to take seriously the call to respect all creation, which is, after all, a gift of God.


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