Human Concerns Blog
Americans on their way to Sainthood - Human Concerns Blog - St Anthony on the Lake
St. Anthony on the Lake Human Concern Blog - Season of Creation
Good Father Gus
Venerable Pierre Toussaint
Sr. Thea Bowman
Human Concerns at St. Anthony on the Lake, Our Common Home and Us: Air, Water and Food by Kate Burke, Human Concerns Committee Chair
Read: Mark 14:1-15:47 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect?
Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do?
She has done a good thing for me… She has done what she could. This unnamed woman, in abundant love, was supremely generous to Jesus, nevermind the cost, nevermind infuriating others. Can the same be said of me? How far am I willing to go, how much am I willing to do in response to the Holy Spirit’s call? Sometimes it just feels… flat: I’ve prayerfully made little sacrifices, small changes in my daily habits, but how does that result in much of anything at all?
Our faith tells us no matter how small my action, God magnifies every good thing and wastes nothing. “Personal climate action looks a lot like ripples expanding out from a pebble dropped in a pond.” The climate crisis we’re in now is not only going to be fixed with individual actions. But we aren’t only individuals. We’re part of communities, organizations, and systems. We can talk to others and listen to their views. We can advocate for change and watch the ripples expand.
I invite you to think of three people in your sphere of influence, share with them the importance of protecting our planet for the people we love, and implore them to exert their influence to make a bigger impact. Check out these tips for spreading the word! Blessings, Kate
Read: John 11:1-45 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect?
Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do?
The dead man came out tied hand and foot with burial bands… When I look around my closet I feel dread at all the stuff: some to keep and some to discard, some to fix (that I don’t know how to fix) or recycle (that I don’t know where to recycle). Worse, for every 1 ton of product purchased, 71 tons of waste was created to mine, manufacture, store, and transport it to market, including vast amounts of water. It clutters my closet and my heart, leaving me feeling positively bound and buried.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus is calling, “come out! untie her!” Untied by finding joy in relationships, experiences, and nature. Untied by prayerfully leaving items behind at the store, grateful for future time I won’t be spending organizing my closet. And someday, untied when our economy is circular like the eco-system God created, in which nothing is wasted.
I invite you to join me by decluttering this Lent (use this resource for hazardous waste and recycling tips), prayerfully considering purchases before making them, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate
*This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.
Read: Psalm 23:1-6* and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect?
Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do?
Besides restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul… Whenever the lake near our house is as smooth as glass, I have to pause and admire it; in the midst of busy-ness or boredom, joy or frustration, it refreshes my soul. It’s amazing that God wants to do that for me. And God wants to do that for you too.
It’s easy to take water for granted, especially when it comes right out of the tap whenever I turn it on. I have 6 taps in my house, and for each I can choose hot or cold! Although 71% of the earth is covered in water, it is still important to conserve it in order to divert less from rivers, bays, and estuaries and reduce energy, pollution, and costs to treat, pump, and heat it.
I invite you to join me by trying one (or more) of these water saving tips, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate
*This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.
Read: Exodus 17:3-7* and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect?
Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do?
In their thirst for water, the people grumbled… After feeling concerned about possible PFAS in our drinking water, we recently installed a water filter. I’m not going to lie, it tastes amazing. Clean drinking water has been an issue on tap, so to speak, since before the days of Moses. And why shouldn’t it be? It comprises about 60% of our bodies and we can only live about 3 days without it. The good news is 73% of the global population has access to clean drinking water. The bad news is 27% don’t. It’s a worldwide issue, and also a local one: in Milwaukee, drinking water can contain lead, leading to all kinds of issues for children’s brain development. Water contamination could even make a person grumble.
Somewhere along the way we thought we’d quench our thirst with bottled water, but, while it may be convenient, this is a false solution. Unlike tap water, bottled water is not regulated, and the process of producing, transporting, distributing and disposing of bottles is harmful to our common home.
This Lent, I invite you to join me in learning about water contamination or bottled water from one of the sources linked above, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate
*This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.