"HOME" - A film about our story, the Earth's story

ADVENT. A time of waiting and wonder. A time to marvel at "the Word made flesh" who pitched his tent among us, whose footsteps fell upon the same holy ground we now walk upon. A time to reflect on the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

ADVENT. A time to awaken. To open our eyes and discover anew this treasure we call "home" -- the Earth -- made holy and sacred by the footsteps of Jesus, but now (in the image of Gerald Manley Hopkins' poem) "seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;" wearing our smudge, sharing our smell: "the soil ... bare now" no longer felt by our well-shod feet.

For a powerful Advent meditation, watch the film
HOME by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. At the outset the film challenges us:

"Listen carefully to this extraordinary story, which is yours,and decide what you want to do with it."

and at the end, the film exhorts us to be hopeful and act.

May ADVENT be a time of hope
for our home, the Earth!

AMEN

Wednesday Oct 28: A Respect for Life Presentation

You are invited to a special
"Respect Life Month" presentation on:

CARE FOR CREATION &
THE CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE

co-sponsored by:
Our Mother of Sorrows'
Care for Creation Initiative & Consistent Ethic of Life Committee

Date: Wednesday Oct 28Time: 7:15 - 8:30 pm(following the OMOS Peace & Justice Mass at 6:30 pm)Place: Our Mother of Sorrows Parish
in the Parish Activity Center Auditorium (Bldg #7)
Address: 1800 S. Kolb Rd, Tucson AZ

“No peaceful society can afford to neglect
either RESPECT FOR LIFE or the fact that
there is an INTEGRITY TO CREATION.”
— Pope John Paul II

Everyone is welcome to this presentation that will address the close connections between respect for life and respect for the environment. The event will follow our weekly Vigil for Life in the Placita next to the Church after the 6:30 pm Peace & Justice Mass.

The presentation will begin with scripture and a viewing of a visual meditation on “Seeing the Hand of God in All Creation.” After time for prayerful reflection and sharing, a short talk will follow about the connections between environmental issues and respect for life in all its forms, including issues related to life in the womb, environmental justice and the vulnerability of the poor to climatic change. After discussion, we will close with prayerful reflections by Msgr. Tom Cahalane.

Presented by:
Katie Hirschboeck of the Holy Ground, Common Ground Core Resource Team

with reflections by Msgr Tom Cahalane, Pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Parish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday Oct 4: Respect Life Sunday & also the Feast Day of St. Francis

RESPECT LIFE SUNDAY
this year falls on the
feast day of St. Francis,
the "Patron Saint
of the Environment"

Why not consider taking the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor to unify the call to respect life, advocate for the poor and vulnerable of the world, and be good stewards of God's creation?

From the Catholic Climate Covenant website:
All across our country, Catholics are taking the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor and joining the Catholic Climate Covenant. The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to live our faith by protecting God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change. To join the Covenant, you commit to act on each of the five elements of the St. Francis Pledge:

+ PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable.
+ LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change.
+ ASSESS how we-as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations-contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.
+ ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.
+ ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.

CLICK HERE to learn more, take the pledge, and join the Covenant.