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Healing Our Scarred Environment

Life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose

Posted by Rebecca Teti in Faith on Friday, July 18, 2008 3:00 PM

May I beg you to read the Holy Father’s message to young people delivered yesterday in Sydney? It’s rich beyond my word count here, but I can’t resist a summary at least. First, since environmental matters are a foremost concern in the vulnerable island nations of the Pacific, the Holy Father’s controlling image is the beauty of creation. Here’s how he describes his journey to WYDSYD as it’s being called:

the views afforded of our planet from the air were truly wondrous. The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendour of Australia’s natural beauty which I have been able to enjoy these last couple of days; these all evoke a profound sense of awe. It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story - light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures; all of which are “good” in God’s eyes (cf. Gen 1:1 - 2:4). Immersed in such beauty, who could not echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Creator: “how majestic is your name in all the earth?” (Ps 8:1).

Of course we have to be good stewards of this natural bounty, but the Holy Father reminds us that if we’re called to be respectful of nature, so much more are we called to respect mankind, the pinnacle of nature.

what of our social environment? ... we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable violence?
From there he entrusts to young people the mission of taking Christ’s healing to all the personal and social environments poisoned by relativism, consumerism, hopelessness and sin. 

As if to punctuate this latter point, I was touched by the Pope’s exchange with Rhoda, a girl from the Sudan who was among 11 young people chosen to have lunch with the Pope. A reporter who observed them together described their exchange.

Rhoda didn’t appear nervous as she knelt before him and kissed his ring. Their ensuing conversation laid bare both of their hearts.
“Please visit my country,” Rhoda pleaded. Though this was no doubt a moment of elation, you could tell from her expression that she carried heavy concerns from her homeland.
“Sudan is the country I most want to visit,” was the pontiff’s surprising response. I confirmed these words with Rhoda afterwards. 

The talk is not only about beauty, it is itself a thing of beauty – a rhetorical masterpiece. Do treat yourself to the whole thing.

Comments (1) | Filed under benedict, environment, parenting, pope, sudan, world youth day
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1. Posted by Long-Skirts [website] on Friday, Jul 18, 2008 4:28 PM (EST):

“Rhoda didn’t appear nervous as she knelt before him and kissed his ring.”

THE
POPE’S
HAND

Your hand, I’d kiss
But not for this,
The mundane games
Men play.

Your hand, I’d kiss
For doing this,
Absolve my sins
Away.

Your hand, I’d kiss
But not for this,
That any man
Can do.

Your hand, I’d kiss,
For doing this
God’s strong, His choice,
The few.

Your hand, I’d kiss
But not for this,
Like any
Virile male.

Your hand, I’d kiss
For doing this,
Place Him between
Lips, pale.

Your hand, I’d kiss
But not for this,
Your strength
Exudes each pore.

Your hand, I’d kiss
For doing this,
Your prayers,
I do implore.


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