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A Climate-Conscious Lent: The fossil fuel effect
See:, Earth's human population has grown exponentially. The number of people on the planet has increased from about 1 billion in 1800 to 2.5 billion by 1950, 6.1 billion at the turn of the century and 7.8 billion today. This population explosion could not have occurred without abundant cheap energy, particularly fossil fuels, writes William Rees , professor emeritus of human ecology and ecological…, Judge:, "The creation waits in eager expectation … in hope that the creation itself will be LIBERATED from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (Romans 8:19-21) "The crisis facing God's earth is clear. We, as stewards, have failed to live into our responsibility to care for creation and have instead abused it in ways that now threaten life around the planet…, Act:, Learn what a carbon footprint is and learn how to calculate yours. Online tools available include this calculator from the University of California, Berkeley, and this one from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Write or call one or more of your elected representatives to ask them to put a price on carbon emissions . Adjust your driving routine to reduce fuel use, or consider switching to…, Sign up to receive emails for the Lenten "Reflections on the Care of Creation" series.
The fast we need
… skeptics who say: It is better to despair than to be disappointed, to be dead than a fool. Lent is our season to ponder these questions, to examine our hearts to find what we really …
Singing the Holy Week Journey
… our Lenten retreat, Fr. Mike shared with us some of his work from We Contemplate the Mystery: Lent and Triduum. We looked at the readings of Palm Sunday and the Triduum, connecting the …
Severe weather prompts emergency response from church leaders as Lent begins
… from fasting and abstinence for the day that marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the nonprofit corporation that operates the …
Live: Soul Seeing for Lent with Dan Horan
… reading: In his column on Ash Wednesday, Horan suggests that Catholics go back to basics this Lent , spending time with Scripture, in prayer and caring for neighbors. Soul Seeing, which is … Horan's columns on NCR by clicking here . Mark your calendar for our upcoming Soul Seeing for Lent conversations: March 3 with theologian Natalia Imperatori-Lee March 17 with Benedictine Sr. …
Lexington diocesan priests issue statement in support of LGBTQ youth
… the diocese to dialogue with them on LGBTQ issues and concerns. He said that the beginning of Lent, "a season of renewal, conversion and repentance," seemed to be a fitting time for the …
Have a digital Lent to get through the pandemic
… we will acknowledge that it would be a huge penance to give up Alexa and our smartphones for Lent. But that is not my recommendation. Rather, I suggest we should use our digital gadgets to celebrate Lent better, especially during the pandemic that has made it so difficult to go to church. Doing penance is one of the ancient traditions of Lent. It reflects the Christian's desire to spend 40 days fasting in imitation of Jesus, who …
For Lent, ask if one's life is centered on God or oneself, pope says
… Carol Glatz … Catholic News Service … Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God's invitation to return to him with one's whole heart, Pope Francis said. "Lent is not just about the little sacrifices we make, but about discerning where our hearts are … Ash Wednesday, which included the blessing and distribution ashes, marking the beginning of Lent for Latin-rite Catholics. Because of ongoing measures in place to reduce the spread of the …
Vatican to bishops: Be 'prudent' about Easter services as pandemic continues
… for the common good," said the letter. Catholics and Christians around the world Feb. 17 begin Lent, the 40-day season in preparation of Easter, with the celebration of Ash Wednesday. Pope … about 120 masked participants, including about 30 cardinals. In his homily, the pope called Lent "a humble descent both inwards and towards others." "It is about realizing that salvation is …
A Climate-Conscious Lent: Hothouse Earth
… interreligious guidebook on care for our common home and choose an action to carry out during Lent. … Sign up to receive emails for the Lenten "Reflections on the Care of Creation" series. …
Bishops' conference gives up Biden working group for Lent
The news that the leadership of the U.S. bishops' conference shut down the working group on dealing with the Biden administration, first reported here at NCR by my colleague Christopher White, suggests the leadership of the conference now recognizes that their confrontational stance was, — hmm, what is the word? — shall we say, ill-considered. Last month, when the working group drafted, and…
Let's go back to basics for Lent during this pandemic year
… Daniel P. Horan … For many people, Lent is associated with certain kinds of sacrifice: giving up something one enjoys for the … ourselves in living the Gospel. But what does it mean to approach the penitential season of Lent in a time of global pandemic in which nearly everybody has experienced involuntary … from the quotidian to the spiritually transformational. However, I think this particular Lent is a time in which spiritual transformation, ongoing conversion, and personal and communal …