Pope Francis (Photo: CNA)
MANILA, Feb. 10, 2016 – Catholics in the Philippines have taken as their own Pope Francis’ universal prayer intention for February, urging others to heed his persistent clamor for the care of God’s creation.
“Taking care of creation is an urgent call. We must act together now for we are facing an era of unusual change of climate that causes a lot [of] unavoidable devastation to creation and the entire humanity with its domino effect on our world. We now join our Holy Father calling and praying for the protection of our common home,” said Franciscan brother Angel Ace Cortez in a statement.
Recollect brother Jaazeal Jakosalem could not agree more, saying the Holy Father’s universal prayer intention is nothing short of a “call to action.”
Change that unites
“We need a change that unites us all,” he explained, echoing the pontiff’s prayer.
Jakosalem pointed out that the Holy Father wishes everyone “to see” and “to feel” the situation, and to ask themselves the question, “What is happening to the world we live in?,” and to reflect upon the relationship between poverty and fragility of the planet.
Meanwhile, religious educator Nestor Limqueco stressed the universal intention is a constant reminder after Laudato Si’ that everyone is a custodian of God’s creation.
“The spirituality today is communion not only for human beings which is the peak of God’s creation, but including other creatures animals, plants, and trees. It is a universal vocation to preserve and save Mother Earth from gradual destruction. Stewardship of creation is a contemporary spirituality that every man should develop and enhance,” he explained.
Care for all
Quoting Manila Archbishop Luís Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Limqueco added, “Care for creation is tantamount to care for every human being.”
Accountant JM Tuazon of Bulacan went on to comment that everything humans do have long-term effects, saying caring for creation is caring for their children and the coming generations.
“The quotation ‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; We borrow it from our children’ is very true. Whatever we do affect not the past but the future,” he said.
Stewardship
“We must always be reminded that we are just stewards of this earth (Catechism 2402). We own nothing, even our own lives, so we must do things appropriately,” he added.
Pope Francis’ universal prayer intention for February reads: “That we may take good care of creation–a gift freely given–cultivating and protecting it for future generations.
Moreover, for evangelization he prays that “opportunities may increase for dialogue and encounter between the Christian faith and the peoples of Asia.” (Raymond A. Sebastián / CBCP News)
