Breathing In, Breathing Out – What is Happening to Earth, Our Home

This resource is an eco contemplative immersion in Laudato Si‘, the document of Pope Francis on Earth, our Home.  An ‘action platform’ to take forward the vision and values of Laudato Si’ is currently inspiring thousands of people in faith communities and beyond to respond to the ecological crises facing us today.  The resource is for those who are drawn to eco contemplative practice in its relationship with ecospiritual activism.  The resource could be used on one’s own, or with a group.  The resource draws on music, poetry and a breathing ‘through’ practice to hold in our hearts both the suffering and beauty of Earth. There is an invitation to the practice of lectio divina, sacred reading/listening to a poem of relevance, ‘Shadow Line’ by the Australian poet Stephen Edgar.  The resource interweaves brief quotes from Laudato Si’ as part of the reflection invited.  The inspiration for the resource lies in three key quotes from Laudato Si’:

1. Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather become painfully aware, to dare to turn to what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it.  LS: 19.

2.  Respect must also be shown for the cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality.  If we are truly concerned to develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out…LS: 63.

3.  We tend to demean contemplative rest, as something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning.  We are called to include in our work a dimension of receptivity and gratuity, which is quite different from mere inactivity…rather it forms part of our very essence.  It protects human action from becoming empty activism; it also prevents that unfettered sense of greed and sense of isolation which make us seek personal gain to the detriment of all else.  LS: 237.