“The Earth and all that it holds,
The world and all creation are of God.” (Psalm 24)
Our call as Dominican Sisters of Peace, which we express in one of our Chapter Commitments, is:
“To treasure and reverence Earth by living the truth proclaimed by Laudato Si’;
acting to reduce our carbon footprint; and advocating in solidarity with others in caring for Earth.”
As we enter the next quarter of the 21st century, I am reflecting on the notion that often comes with a New Year's beginning and inviting us to think about what we need to do to be good stewards of Earth. We are fast approaching the deadline that we set, as “modern nations,” to stop and even reverse our escalating carbon emissions. Each year, we come with hope about making environmental changes, yet with lowered expectations.
Maybe some of us have even given up on the now-not-so-distant COP21 goal of limiting the average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C by 2030. (COP21 was the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, where many nations signed the historic Paris Agreement.)
Like many of our forgotten New Year’s resolutions, are we now well-resigned to the “inevitable?” Are we just letting nature take its course and giving up on reversing climate change and our responsibility to treasure and reverence Earth?
I want to affirm HOPE in this newly begun year. My hope is not some “pie-in-the-sky” dream. Instead, my hope is grounded in an ever-deepening resolve to continue the work, the fight, if necessary, to claim our responsibility as human beings to work for our Common Home, Earth.
We can each make simple changes, such as walking to the mailbox at the end of the lane (instead of driving), bundling trips to town, and putting on a sweater to lower energy use. (Remember the phrase, “lower is better, put on a sweater,” attributed to President Jimmy Carter telling Americans in the 1970s?)
We can also support the efforts of those who continue to raise their voices about our rainforests, going deeper than just the science and politics of climate change, and feeling once again our individual and collective responsibility for so many life-forms—under our feet and across the planet.
“Active hope” is what the next quarter-century now calls us all to live out.
We, as Dominican Sisters of Peace, are committed to doing our part in caring for God’s creations and invite you to learn more about our ecological ministries by clicking here.
If you feel called to serve as a religious sister and want to journey with us as we “labor with God for the transformation of all creation,” then contact one of our Vocation Ministers to begin a conversation.