In our Christian Heritage we have many “ecological saints”. Beginning with Paul of Tarsus (567A.D.) to Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) the Patron Saint of Ecology. It was in the forest among the trees and the silence that the Great Spirit spoke to her heart. All of nature spoke to her of the Creator. Being in harmony with all of creation was a value she learned among the Aboriginal people.
U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once said: “It is better to remain silent and to be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!”
In many ways, this is a variation on the words of the sage Ben Sirach in today’s first reading: “Do not praise someone before they speak, for this is the way in which people are tested.” In fact, the connecting thread running through what seem to be very disparate, disconnected readings today is this notion of integrity: avoiding hypocrisy and hasty judgments, bearing witness to the truth by living a life in which there is coherence between our beliefs and values, our words and our deeds. This is the way in which our lives become fruitful, a source of goodness for ourselves and for those around us. Or in simpler terms: “to walk the talk.”
(God said) “If you live according to my laws, if you keep my commandments and put them into practice, I shall give you the rain you need at the right time; the soil will yield its produce and the trees of the countryside their fruit; you will thresh until vintage time and gather grapes until sawing time. You will eat your fill of bread and live secure in your land.” Lev. 26: 3-6
This morning, about 75 people coming from many of our English-speaking parishes gathered together to reflect on what it means to be on a mission, to be doing the Lord’s work together.
If there is one day in the year when skepticism melts away and the believer inside each of us resurfaces, that day is probably Christmas. Even in this secular world, where it is easy for the story of the birth of Christ to get lost in the crush of parties and shopping, of pre-Christmas sales and
At St. Monica’s, every September marks a new pastoral year that invites us to explore our faith by considering a theme that is relevant to our lives. This year, our theme is Called to be Holy … “Be Holy, for I Am Holy”. (1 Peter 1:16) What a happy coincidence it was that, as we were deciding on this theme, Pope Francis released his latest apostolic exhortation, Rejoice and Be Glad: The call to holiness in the contemporary world! With this resounding confirmation, we wasted no time in putting together a program that we are proud to share with you.
St. Monica's Parish