An ecological examine.
In Laudato si',
Pope Francis asks us to care for creation and to reconcile our relationship with God,
Creation,
And one another.
Borrowing from the great Ignatian tradition of examines,
This ecological examine asks you to reflect on your personal relationship with creation,
To acknowledge and amend your ways,
And to promote ecological justice by standing in solidarity with those most impacted by environmental harm.
Begin the examine by placing yourself in a posture that allows you to be open to the ways the Spirit is working in you.
There are six steps in this examine.
Gratitude.
I give thanks to God for creation and for being wonderfully made.
Where did I feel God's presence in creation today?
Awareness.
I ask for the grace to see creation as God does in all its splendor and suffering.
Do I see the beauty of creation?
Where do I hear the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor?
Understanding.
I ask for the grace to look closely to see how my life choices impact creation and the poor and vulnerable.
What challenges or joys do I experience as I recall my care for creation?
How can I turn away from a throwaway culture and instead stand in solidarity with creation and the poor?
Am I aware that my use of power here,
This empowers another environment somewhere else?
How can I be more conscious of the impacts of our demand for energy,
Be it increased carbon emissions from coal,
Oil,
And gas,
Increased deforestation?
Could I live with less energy?
Do I recognize that eating is a moral act and that how I treat my food is how I treat my home?
Conversion.
I ask for the grace of conversion towards ecological justice and reconciliation.
In my desire for reconciliation with creation,
I ask God for forgiveness and the grace of ecological conversion.
I acknowledge the ways in which I personally have chosen convenience,
Selfishness,
And greed over ecological and social justice.
I also acknowledge the ways structures,
Patterns,
And cultures of sin impact my life,
The lives of people on the margins and the earth.
Through my recognition of where I have fallen short in caring for creation and my brothers and sisters and through God's mercy,
I pray for a conversion of heart to amend my ways.
I seek through prayer and actions to reconcile myself with God,
Creation,
And humanity.
I seek through the ways in which I have fallen short in caring for creation and humanity.
Reconciliation.
I ask for the grace to stand in solidarity with all of humanity and creation through my actions.
In what ways can I live more simply in my home and community and to make choices consistent with my desire for reconciliation with creation?
In what ways through my actions can I stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable who are disproportionately affected by the environmental crisis?
In what ways will I advocate for environmental policies that care for creation and the most vulnerable?
In concluding our examen,
We give thanks to God for the gift of creation and we close with this prayer from Laudato Si,
A prayer for our earth.
All powerful God,
You are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace that we may live as brothers and sisters,
Harming no one.
O God of the poor,
Help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this birth so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
That we may sow beauty,
Not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
To be filled with awe and contemplation,
To recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us,
We pray,
In our struggle for justice,
Love and peace.
Amen.
Amen.
