The would-be followers of Jesus

AS Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” And to another he said, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.” But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.” And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.” Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

REFLECTION THE SON OF MAN HAS NOWHERE TO REST HIS HEAD. Today’s feast of one of the greatest saints, Francis of Assisi, should remind us not only of how this saint treasured poverty but also a spirituality that sees God’s creation as our “friends,” “brothers,” “sisters,” etc. And, therefore, they are not just to be “utilized” or exploited but seen as part of the “human family” that need to be nurtured, cared for, and protected. Without these gifts from God, human life is impossible.

Unfortunately, I am afraid we have considered them more as mere means to our ends, often without regard to their preservation and flourishing, making them sustainable. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ precisely wants to underline our responsibility towards God’s creation so we can continue to exist side by side with them and so both flourish attaining our respective ends.

Will you do something concrete for the environment today?