These are the poor with their many faces; we give them our preference (Constitution 5)
Action on behalf of justice, peace and the integrity of creation is an integral part of evangelization.
(Rule 9a)
Eugene’s life was dedicated to the poor who needed the hope that the presence of Jesus Christ could bring to their lives – in the majority of cases these were the materially poor who did not have opportunities. Two hundred years ago there was no awareness of the damage that industrialization was causing to the earth and its resources. In the Book of Genesis, God entrusted creation to our care. Today we are painfully and unavoidably aware of the damage that we have caused to the earth. The OMI Inter-Chapter is reminding us that it is the poor who suffer the most from the natural disasters of climate change:
“Marking the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’, participants turned their prayer to the urgency of ecological conversion. The mandate of the previous Chapter was recalled with clarity: “Study Laudato Si’ and uphold its value and urgency in all our communities. Sustain and promote our positive programs and activities and connect to other groups through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform of the Church” (PHC 15.1).
Reflections emphasized that care for our common home cannot be separated from care for the poor, and that this call goes beyond ecological gestures to a deeper change of heart and community. Participants shared concrete steps already underway, such as zero-waste initiatives, renewable energy projects, community gardens, and prayers for creation. These practices showed how ecological conversion is rooted in daily life. To carry this forward, the group proposed ongoing formation, integration into pastoral and educational programs, and stronger partnerships with committed networks”.
I recognize see how individual our missions might appear to be even at the same time when they are communal. How God calls each of us in our uniqueness as members of a community. We are aware of the exquisite beauty of a diamond and yet each of us will be drawn to a particular facet of the diamond in which we will find face of God in the midst of those who are often abandoned, discarded or condemned as unredeemable.
We have all witnessed within the world around us those who think themselves better than any others. It seems to be much easier to promote ourselves even as we do not recognize that we might also be agents of lessening others, the earth, or the skies above us.
“…come and learn who you are in the eyes of God.” Eugene spoke to the poor before him, calling them his brothers, his respected brothers… We are called and invited to love the poor in a way that respects their dignity as human beings, brothers and sisters and all that God has created. A call that “goes beyond ecological gestures to a deeper change of heart and community.”
It seems to me that if collaborate, according to [our] vocation, and try every means compatible with the Gospel (that is the living Word of God)… then we will each “help to create a society based on the dignity of the human person created in the image of God.” (ref. R 9a)