In the frame designed by the Church, the one of particular ecological awareness of the Christians, a reflection about some consequences of this realitive in spiritual life, in our relationships. Manoli Delgado invites us to get over what usually comes to our minds when we hear a word “ecology”. And to live coherently, in harmony: healing hearts…

“Everything is related, andthe authentic care for our own life and our relationships with nature is unseparable from fraternity, justice and fidelity to others” (LS,70). It’s a joyful communion, says Pope in his message for this Season of Creation 2020, we support and protect eachother mutually.

When we cultivate a profoud and transparent communication, there is a miracle of a better mutual understanding; a sorprising creativity is born that leads us, facing a crossroad, to respond with a third way in which all of us gain. We are brothers and sisters, citizen of a same common home… Communion destructs pervert scheme of competition, in which, logically, there are losers and winners. This competitive style is one of the mechanism to blame in ecological disharmony that we suffer.

Our relationship with creation has not been pacific, just, generous… Our attention to common home, throught the years, has been guided by a “self” dominated by its uncontrolable anxiety. The nature suffers, each creature suffers, whole humanity suffers. Sometimes it seems that chaos again becomes the owner of the universe.

And then some questions and challenges are born. Is my style of life the one of someone who loves creation… as God Father Creator himself has asked from me? What step should I take?

The order that apears at exterior speaks to us of an interior order that is its source, its most transparent secret. “Take care – Fr. Palau says – take care of achieving this interior order”. Search for your truth, your place in the world. Ordain your strenght to what is worth of it. ECological awareness cannot be only a style or in some way superficial ideology. These orientations that Palau offered to Juana Gratias in other context, direct our ecological efforts on the root of our being involving us from inside; same thing Pope is asking from us in this Season of Creation.

In the silence, a voice reveals to me that I am a part of solution to degradation of our common home, because I am connected with all creatures. With them I am worthy and beautiful. With thwm, contradictory. With them, chaotic and harmonic. Inmensely loved, wanted, by whom gave life to me. Blessed creation come from the loving hands of God, eternal creator. He left his fingerprints in all… Each one of us leave our fingerprints in his. Which fingerprint God wants me to leave on my way…?

 

Didn’t they say that grass was not growing again where Atilla had passed…? Sad story, thousands times repeated in the history.

Didn’t they say of Teresa Mira that her smile was leaving signs of hopes in every person and situation…? Happy story of an authentic woman of faith, thousand times repeated in many of her sisters, daughters of father Palau. Do you remember that sister for whom there was no “descartable” pupil? Ecological miracle: to believe in every person and orient her to believe in herself. Do you remember that other sister who with great faith was giving hope to the sick to whom she was consoling? Retstoring ecology that knows about therapeutic value of closeness in adversity. And that community that in the middle of poverty learned to laugh and share without measure…? Ecology of generosity, convinced that there is more joy in giving than in receiving…

Loves makes us walk, from inside, in the ecological spirit that leaves fingerprints of light. Fingerprints of a positive impact. Durable fruits.

Interior order tat is good for me, and is good to world ecological harmony, impacts today in our world with love. To be in love with the earth prepares me to be able to be her guardian.

Contemplation, simplicity, generosity, no gathering more than I need. Not to destroy without need. To cross my way with others, appreciate them, and discover, together, the third ways, those beneficiary for all.

Jesus reminded us the beauty of harvest of thousands of grains; they are plants, He said, born from grains that felt and died, they are their fruits. This is always the third way, in any moment of our lives, in any limitation. Looking at Jesus we believe again in fecundity of a communitarian harvest. All of us were invited, noone is too much. Each one has brought the best of himself. To be happy there was no need to cut thousands of trees, or destroy anybody. Listening, humility, progress, donation, mercy… All of us are winners in the logic of ecological harmony, that demands to give life like Jesus did.

Faith, hope and love (says Francisco Palau to Juana Gratias) “unite creature with Creator, spirit of a man with his God, soul with the Word of God. And this sacred union is the one you need to look for, have and possess, because in it there is life, health and spiritual strenght, and from all other innumerable virtues are coming. Apart all theories, let’s look what is most convenient to you”.

“By healing human heart we can heal the world”, Pope reminded us, last September 3.

Well, Father Palau, Pope Francis, thank you. Apart all theories…

 

Sr. Manoli Delgado, cmt