As the Season of Creation draws toward the Feast of St. Francis, we are invited to remember that creation is more than scenery, property, or resource—it is the beloved community of life to which we belong. From Brother Sun and Sister Moon to the remarkably determined neighbourhood squirrel, perhaps caring for the earth begins when we rediscover our kinship with the world God loves and is still redeeming.
Tag Archives: Christian Discipleship
The Neighbours Who Never Borrow the Lawn Mower
What if creation is more than scenery, property, or a collection of resources? During this Season of Creation, we consider what it might mean to see trees, rivers, soil, and creatures as neighbours—and to discover that caring for the earth is ultimately an expression of love, gratitude, and faithful discipleship.
The World Was Never Just Scenery
The Season of Creation begins with a simple spiritual practice: paying attention. Before guilt, responsibility, or action comes wonder—the recognition that the earth belongs to God and is already alive with God’s goodness. Perhaps caring for Creation begins when we stop treating the world as scenery and start seeing it as our neighbour.
When Our Promises Become Practices
Reconciliation cannot remain a promise the Church makes each September. Our commitments must become visible in our relationships, budgets, priorities, partnerships, and actions. As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, we ask a challenging question: if someone examined the life of our church without hearing our words, would they be able to tell that reconciliation truly matters to us?
Reconciliation Will Cost Us Something
Reconciliation becomes credible when it moves beyond apology into action. For the Church in Canada, that will require more than good intentions: it will require humility, changed priorities, shared authority, committed resources, and the courage to surrender control. The question is no longer simply whether we regret the past, but whether our repentance is changing the way we live today.
What We Carry From the Altar
Truth and reconciliation cannot remain something the Church remembers for one week each year. What we celebrate at the altar must become visible in how we listen, build relationships, share resources, seek justice, and become trustworthy neighbours with Indigenous peoples.
When September Ends: The Work That Must Continue
What happens when September ends, the orange shirts are folded away, and the Church calendar moves on? Reconciliation cannot be a season we observe and then leave behind. It must become a way of life—shaping our relationships, priorities, resources, and actions. The real measure of our commitment will be whether we remain faithful to the work long after the commemorations are over.
Reconciliation Must Change the Relationship
Reconciliation must become more than familiar language or an annual observance. It must change the relationships we build. The Church is called to listen before speaking, to become neighbours rather than managers, and to turn promises into faithful, lasting action with Indigenous peoples.
When Reconciliation Costs Us Something
Reconciliation is not sustained by annual observances alone. It grows through faithful relationships, honest listening, and the courage to let repentance reshape the way we live. This reflection challenges the Church to move beyond good intentions and embrace the ongoing work of truth, justice, and healing with Indigenous peoples—one faithful step at a time.
Truth That Walks: Reconciliation Beyond Good Intentions
The work of truth and reconciliation is not complete because we have acknowledged the past. The Gospel calls the Church beyond good intentions into faithful action—listening deeply, building authentic relationships, and pursuing justice with humility and courage. Reconciliation is not a destination but a lifelong journey of discipleship, where our prayers become partnerships and our faith becomes visible in the work of healing.