The timing of the release Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Sí" allows us to look at the first and second readings of this Sunday's Mass in its light. Whether this was intended or providential, it's a good thing.
But first, I have some thoughts on the gospel — Mark 5:21-43. This passage tells us of two events. One is the raising of Jairus' daughter. Sandwiched in the middle of that account we hear of the healing of the woman with a hemorrhage through her touching of Jesus' garment. (There is an option of reading a shorter version which omits the part about the woman.)
The healing of the woman is remarkable in several ways. It takes place without any overt action on Jesus' part, nevertheless he is aware that it has happened and asks, "Who touched me." The response of his disciples reminds us that many people were in greater physical contact with Jesus than she was. Yet they didn't get anything out of it. This illustrates an important point of sacramental theology: the graces God offers in a sacrament are received according to the dispositions of the recipient. So if someone says, I go to Mass but I don't get anything out of it, we can ask as tactfully and gently as possible, "What do you try to get out of it?" We can also ask ourselves if there is more we could get out of our attendance at Mass and reception of Communion if we put more into it.
The first reading is from the book of Wisdom —Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24. This book was written about 100 years before the birth of Christ in Greek, not Hebrew, and in Alexandria. It is not part of the scriptures recognized by the Jewish community, and Protestants do not consider it canonical, but the Catholic Church includes it in the Bible. The verses read this Sunday tell of the goodness of God's creation and remind us of what we hear in Genesis: that evil and death are a consequence of sin.
The context of the second reading — 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 — is a collection Paul is taking up among his churches for the relief of the poverty of the church in Jerusalem. While he doesn't require a specific level of contribution, he sees it as necessary that Christians share with their impoverished fellow Christians. The giving should be inspired by the self-sacrifice of Jesus, but the Corinthians do not have to give all they have: they are entitled to keep what they need for themselves.
This brings us to the encyclical. It goes into much greater depth than I have room for here, and it would certainly be worthwhile to read the whole thing for a clearer understanding of the evils of our times and the multifaceted approaches to solutions which he encourages.
Pope Francis reminds us of our obligation to care for the earth, which is God’s gift to us, but a gift which each of us shares with our fellow humans of this and future generations. The shared nature of the gift means that we need to act in ways that preserve it, so that it can sustain others as it sustains us. Therefore, actions which pollute the environment or destroy ecosystems — such as deforestation of the tropical rainforests — are wrong. Like Saint Francis, we must realize that there is beauty in every creature and that, since all of them are created by God, as we are, all of them are in a real sense our brothers and sisters. When we understand that, we can overcome destructive impulses and take on a protective attitude toward all of nature. Taking time to observe and admire the beauty of the animals, plants, waters, and other created things will help us cultivate that attitude. We come to realize that the things around us are not to be selfishly exploited.
Beyond the beauty and goodness of our fellow creatures, Pope Francis emphasizes another reason we are obligated to care for the earth and avoid wasteful and destructive attitudes and actions. It is our concern for the poor — not only those who live among us and nearby, but all the poor of the earth. Excessive consumption of resources by some makes them unavailable for others. In line with his predecessors, Pope Francis condemns consumerism and the throwaway culture which seems to pervade our society. It is not only sinfully greedy in itself, but it also fails our obligations to the poor.
The Pope calls every one of us to become aware of the effects of actions by multinational corporations on the lives of the people in the countries where they operate. Do they destroy the livelihoods of people by taking the land where they produced their food? Do factory farms make small holdings nonviable? Do manufacturing operations produce waste products which pollute the environment of third world countries in ways which we would never tolerate in our own communities? We need to try to be aware of such things and to exercise what influence we have on decisions which are taken — maybe as citizens electing our public officials and communicating, maybe as shareholders in corporations, maybe as consumers choosing to buy from companies which act responsibly.
There is a mindset similar to that of the rich man who ignored Lazarus at his gate. It is one of caring only about what is good for us personally and treating everything for our own convenience and benefit. It is one of seeing profit as the only goal of business activity. This is the mindset which stands in the way of protecting the world-wide environment and of overcoming global poverty. We need a different mindset. As Pope Francis says, "Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little." We need to realize the interconnectedness of everything on the planet. We need to consider in what ways we are being wasteful. Are there changes we can make in our habits of consumption? The Pope mentions such things as using public transportation when possible, cooking only the food we will eat, reusing things rather then throwing them away, turning off lights when we leave a room. These sorts of things may be small matters on an individual basis, but if millions of people heed the message, there will be a real impact.
The Pope has given us much to think about. It may be comfortable to think about how governments and businesses are behaving badly toward the earth and its poor. But I need to consider my ways. Should I walk to the store to get the newspaper instead of driving to save time? When I’m going to Boston, should I take the bus to the subway station — and use the time to read something worthwhile — instead of driving and listening to sports talk on the radio? Should I try to recycle more? Who deserves my vote? The Pope invites us all — urges us — to ask ourselves what we should be doing to help the poor and to cherish the home God has given us in all its beauty and pass it on in all its richness.
Jesus overcomes death, restoring us to the life God wants us to have. In him God has amazingly become part of his creation. Brother Sun and Sister Moon are his brother and sister as well as ours. The poor and suffering are his brothers and sisters as well as ours.
Tanglewood — 2026/08/01-02
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