Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter
Jesus’ words “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” carry a multifaceted invitation. They are a beautiful promise of the gift of Eucharist and eternal life. They are also a reminder that we are sent to live the fruits of our call—to care for the human and spiritual needs of hunger and thirst. In this time of celebrating Earth Week (Earth Day is April 22nd), we are invited to make a connection with the farmers who grew the grains that make our Eucharistic symbols of bread and wine, as well as to renew our commitment to care for the earth’s resources so that unpolluted life-giving water might be a universal gift for all.
The Catholic Bishops of our neighboring State, Indiana, just released this month, an inspiring pastoral letter: "Integral Ecology - A Sacramental Vision" (found here: indianacc.org/ecology). The letter grounds ecological concerns in the Eucharistic life of the church, echoing Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ #236, “It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable expression when God himself became man and gave himself as food for his creatures”. The pastoral letter invites us to “live eucharist lives as we care for both our human community and God’s good world. Formed by our encounter with the Risen Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, we hope for the coming of the Kingdom of God that will transform and renew the earth and our brothers and sisters.”
The letter includes an overview of the ecosystems and environmental issues in the state and present ways to put our faith in action. One practical suggestion is recovery of sabbath—as a sacred time of worship in the Eucharist, rest and healing relationships. “Refreshed and elevated by our encounter with the Real Presence of the Risen Lord in the Eucharist, let us go forth to encounter the real presence of one another and also the presence of the Trinity in creation” including: unplugging from a virtual world and entering into encounter with God through the flora and fauna of our yards and parks, praising God in Creation and listening to the divine message to us.
Since Ohio and Indiana and Ohio have many similarities—in bordering the Great Lakes, having great rivers and water supplies that are vulnerable to pollution, vibrant rural agriculture providing food, and similar challenges of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy and energy conservation. May we each take some time to read portions of the pastoral letter to inspire our going forth with a sacramental vision that sees the trace of God in all things and learns to hear God’s song of creation speaking a divine message to us. As our own hungers are fed and thirst quenched, we can go forth to be sources of living bread and water for others.
—Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, Marianist Sisters