The picture I’ve attached here on the blog is the latest bulletin that came out on the first sunday of lent. I think it’s totally ridiculous and inappropriate. it looks more like a manifesto from greenpeace or wwf than it does about Catholic spirituality. instead of talking about the corporal works of mercy or the spiritual works of mercy this bulletin focuses on very modern environmental concerns. some people may be attracted to environmental issues like the ones presented in this bulletin but these are not issues of faith and morals. Catholicism is about faith and morals and whether or not we use styrofoam cups has nothing to do with it.

There is not a single suggestion on this 32 suggestion list that has anything to do with something a church father or saint wrote about. we have 20 centuries of catholic teaching and yet not a single thing on this list has anything to do with catholic teaching.

if you read the entire catechism, out of the hundreds of paragraphs you may find 1 that relates to the environment and how we have to treat the environment with respect but this represents only a very tiny and insignificant part of Catholic spirituality.

Catholic spirituality is about saving souls not about saving mother earth. If somebody wants to have a compost in their backyard or if somebody wants to recycle bottles that’s their decision but that is not the focus of catholic theology and spirituality.

For an item which appears on the first sunday of lent this is absolutely ridiculous. there’s nothing here about obeying the 10 commandments or avoiding the 7 deadly sins or going to mass more often during lent or giving up some sort of sinful behavior during these 40 days which are the true reasons for Lent. Jesus did not go into the desert for 40 days so that he could recycle a plastic bottle.

Somehow I do not recall saint paul speaking about the need to turn your thermostat down to 20 degrees or to bring your own bags to the grocery store. I don’t remember saint alphonsus telling us to eat more meat substitutes like tofu. or maybe somebody could tell me where james in his letter tells people to use phosphate-free detergents.

The Catholic Church has over 2000 years of helping people overcome their temptations, their trials, and their sinful behaviors. tens of thousands of books have been written by canonized saints, church fathers and other holy people. why then do we ignore this invaluable tradition and instead focus on modern fads?

that this article appears on the first sunday of lent in a Catholic bulletin is disgraceful. when someone asked Jesus how to get to heaven Jesus never once said use phosphate-free detergents or recycle or have a compost heap. these things are very much secondary and they have nothing to do with Catholic spirituality.

the church is a place were people go for the salvation of their souls, not a place to hear the platform of green peace. by putting these articles front and center in a Catholic bulletin not only does injustice to the parishioners but it does an injustice to Jesus Christ who died for our sins.

the Church was established by Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls not to promote the new fangled environmental movement. let’s hope from here on in St. Teresa’s can focus on Lent and not on these fads.