In our first reading from the Pope’s Encyclical letter ‘Laudato Si ‘ (On Care For Our Home) the Pope does what the mystical saint St Francis, (the name which the present Pope took for his Pontificate,) did many years ago. He personified the Earth, called her sister and mother, he described how we have plundered her at will, burdened and laid her waste, for she among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor and she groans in travail. We have and are crucifying her. And many of the words that are used in the crucifixion story can be used of the Earth. As Jesus, the one who bends down and washes the feet of his disciples, who humbly serves them is betrayed and abandoned by his friends and disciples. Like Jesus the Earth  has and is serving us , she provides clean air and water, seeds and fruits of earth, and like Jesus is betrayed and abandoned by those she serves. He and she is handed over to the power brokers of the day to make decisions about its future while the mob seemingly yells in its lack of respect and exploitation- Crucify Him, Crucify Her. The authorities stand aside and wash their hands of any responsibility or try to palm the responsibility onto someone else. In Jesus’ case, Pilate handing responsibility to Herod who is hoping Jesus will work a miracle for him to witness. As leaders do this with the Earth today, hoping against hope that the Earth will perform a miracle to save itself without any changes in policy or lifestyle choices for the human inhabitants of the Earth. As Jesus makes his way to be crucified some women mourn and weep for him. And he says to them as the Earth says to us, “Do not weep for me. Weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For the day will surely come when people will say, Happy are those who are barren, the wombs that have never borne and the breasts that have never suckled! Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! To the hills, cover us!” What will be the fate of our children’s children if we continue on the path of destroying the planet? No doubt, increasing extreme weather events will be the norm which we will wish we had done something about in our time and age. Will the Earth say, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing as the people cast lots to share out the Earth’s resources among the rich of the world. Are we mocking her and jeering her with words like : If you are all redeeming and self- repairing SAVE YOURSELF. Will darkness come over the whole land as she cries out in a loud voice, “Into your hands I commit My Spirit” and with these words will she breathe her last? In a moment I will invite you to come forward and reverence this wooden cross made from trees sprung from the earth. This flag with a photo image of the earth from space, and this soil product of the earth. And once again commit ourselves to her life, to stand against those things which persecute and destroy her, those same forces which persecuted and destroyed Jesus. Powers and dominions which we allow to dominate and destroy what we hold dear. These forces are in each of us and they have the potential to destroy and are destroying our planet. I invite you if you wish to come forward to make a simple public gesture and to once again commit yourself to be a person of life and hope for our planet.  

Homily Good Friday 2016

By Terry Fitzpatrick