There are so many ways to experience and/or become an instrument of God’s mercy during Lent, so why cares for God’s creation? I’ve been wrestling with this question. It’s much easier and more obvious to experience God’s mercy through the sacrament of reconciliation.  Similarly, I can be merciful by serving the poor or forgiving those who need my forgiveness.  Why care for God’s creation?  

Reading through Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, I grew to a deeper awareness of how my ways of living affect the environment and consequently, the poor. Yes, my ways of living contribute to climate change, which affects us all, but the poor suffer the most. Farmers in the Central Valley, for example, can’t survive without good weather for their crops. If farmers do not have a good harvest, the cost of food will rise, and it will become less affordable for those without economic resources.

Merciful God, I pray that I can become an instrument of your mercy by caring for your creation and the poor during Lent. May I live out your dream to “Be merciful like your father” (Lk 6:36).