Week Five: March 21 – March 27
The Sunday readings for this week can be found here.
Reflection
….Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’” It has already been a year when, in March, church doors closed, choirs were silenced, families were encouraged to stay apart, and normal human interaction suspended. Even the skies went silent for a while. And still the pandemic continues. Climate disasters in the form of destructive fires and storms continue to make refugees of citizens and zip codes continue to be determinants of life expectancies – inner city residents still suffer disproportionately due to health disparities, pollution, and a scarcity of green space. Forty percent of food is still being wasted, creating harmful methane gas which significantly contributes to global warming. Yet this is the hour we live in. Should we ask the question Jesus asked? Father, save me from this hour? Or, like Jesus, should we trust despite all circumstances and troubling feelings? These readings answer that question. In the midst of these challenges, God still blesses, still forgives. His glory still persists. The covenant of God’s love, according to the prophesy of Jeremiah, is written on our hearts. That love is present in the air we have for ventilation, and the water we use to wash off vestiges of the virus. We have first responders, nurses, doctors, researchers, and innovators who have risen to their purpose, some even to the point of death. So, how will we glorify God’s name by our actions? What is our responsibility? This is our hour. How can we protect and renew the earth and each other?
Action
- Learn the difference between a linear economy
and a circular economy: sustainablecleveland.org
- This week notice how much food you waste and why. Food waste accounts for the production of methane gas, a main contributor of greenhouse gases.
- This week, ask God to show you one action you can take which manifests the covenant of love God has written on our hearts.
Source
Used for inspiration for the reflection:
Is 50:4-7
Phil. 2: 6-11
Mk.14:1-15: 47
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