Comments shared at ZOOM Eucharist 4 October 2025 Reflecting on 800 years of St. Francis Laudato ’Si
1. Beautiful readings. When in Canada we enjoyed a walk beside Lake Superior where the Native Peoples were acknowledged. It was a pilgrimage in communion with all of nature.
2. Some of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address are read every day in some schools in the USA.
3. I think of family care and sustainability so dear in Native American culture. Europeans came to America, brought capitalism, greed for gold and a lust to destory the indigenous people. Since the mid 20th century Native American culture has been revived and now thrives. The have much to teach us.
4. I live in a concrete jungle and don’t get to see much of nature. Love Grandmother Moon. I remember the book of Job “Where were you when….”The Native American way. The readings were like an operetta – so beautiful.
5. I lived with tribals for a few years and learnt about medicinal plants. A 14 year old girl in our school had a log fall on her foot, crushing two of her toes. She was sent 22km to a medical facility. The doctor said he would have to amputate her toes. The girl and her family ran away back to the school where they asked one of the Sisters to help the girl. The Sister feared the injury could become gangrenous. But the girls family were definite they would not go back to the doctor. They asked the Sister to do what she could. The Sister applied Aloe Vera plant to the crushed toes and tied them up. She had no anti-biotics. She prayed it would work. In 4 days the girl showed some improvement. She was completely healed. The Sister had never experienced anything like this. There is so much wonder in nature. But we are allowing a lot of chemicals to destroy our communities and health.
6. 8 years ago she lived with an indigenous community. They believed in sustainable development. Beauty so vivid. The government hospital was 20km away – but people only go to hospital to die. So different to how we deal with issues. Very inspiring readings. Thank you.
7. Thanks and gratefulness speak through the words. How do we see nature and the cosmos? We are a small part of the cosmos. Everything is interlinked with each other – the moon & sun & the cosmos. How it could be and how it was 100 years ago. Show us the way into the future. More responsibility and more connections. Find new ways to deal with technologies and our economic systems.
8. Teilhard de Chardin in “Divine Milieu” said at the heart of all matter is the heart of God. Teilhard was condemned, but Pope Francis embraced him. At the heart of all matter is God.
9. The spirituality of enough. Take from nature only as much as you need. The Mango tree laden with fruit: In cities fruits are robbed. With tribals they take one only if they are hungry. Don’t hoard. They have very little. They grow cucumbers in the rainy season. They share everything. Godly living. Having grown up in a city with property rights etc. In contrast the tribals are living so close to God.
10. I visited some islands devastated after a tsunami. There were government programs for orphans.. But the tribals have no word for orphans in their vocabulary. The community is the larger family. Some of the islands are considered sacred: Some where you wear no clothes; make no noise; take nothing away. Ways of maintaining harmony. Names of Mothers/Fathers are the same for all generations. Different relationships.