Today the 4th of October 2013 we
celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Asisi whose name has been chosen by the
current Holy Father which is a loud way of telling the world what he stands
for, namely humility and service. The Holy Father is not merely robed in the
name of this great saint but indeed he is following in his footsteps. We at
wish him all the best and God's choicest blessings on this day as he carries
out his divine duties.
Again, today we celebrate the
environment day which which brings to our mind that His Holiness Pope Francis
describes the mission of the
Church as “Respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in
which we live”, All the Catholics
and indeed every person of good will has been called upon to take care of the
environment which in fact would be an extension of the neighbours' love.
Taking
care of the environment is an expression of the care and love we have for our
brothers and sisters, not just those living now but also for the future
generations. It is a positive response to the teaching of the Social Doctrine
of the Church on the Common Good as our destiny. It is a virtue therefore to
take care of our environment and it is a sin not to, that is why in the modern
thelogical exploration we are talikng about enviromental justice or injustice.
Environment can almost be said to be synonymous to the people.
We are happy that the KCCB (Kenya
Conference of the Catholic Bishops) and the Archdiocese of Nairobi are marking
the Catholic National Environment Day as part of their contribution in saving the mother earth and to
protect world life. To mark this
day, there will be a tree planting function at Jamhuri High School. This will
be preceded by a walk that will start at globe round, Michuki gardens at 8.00
a.m.
Priests and religious are part of this initiative with a sizable
number of the faithfuls will be in attendance.are requested to attend. This
needs not be a one off even but a process where each one of us discerns what
specific contribution he/she can make towards environmental justice and
therefore justice to the people!
"Make me an instrument of
your PEACE!" St. Francis of Asisi
By Fr. Jude WAWERU
Justice and Peace Desk
