In the General chapter 2008 we made the following commitment:
Animated by our mercy call and by living reflectively we will reverence the earth and its peoples by engaging creatively with the needs of our time both locally and globally.
In the words of Teilhard de Chardin “the Earth is actually a living being, a colossal, biological super-system.”
The call for us today is to immerse ourselves in the universe story to recover the sense of awe, and wonder, amazement, delight, gratitude and reverence.
As one of the latest species to evolve, we humans need to appreciate our place in the universe story; to understand that we share the same origin and substance as every part of our planet from the invisible life in the silt of the pond to the towering mountains, luscious woodlands, and all creatures which inhabit them.
Humankind is the consciousness of the earth community. We are earth, the Universe aware of itself, reflecting on itself, wondering about its origins, finding God in everything; relating to the Creator in reverence, wonder and awe; seeking to make decisions in harmony with the Creator’s design for the wholesome, ongoing evolution of the planet: an awesome responsibility.
'The world is charged with the grandeur of God'
Gerard Manley Hopkins