Caritas Da Lat opens the Season of Creation
•Caritas Đà Lạt
A special Mass evokes many feelings of intimacy with nature organized by Caritas Da Lat, emphasizing love for others and nature during the Season of Creation...
A special Mass evokes many feelings of intimacy with nature organized by Caritas Da Lat, emphasizing love for others and nature during this year's Season of Creation.
On September 1, Bishop Dominic Nguyen Van Manh presided over an outdoor mass to celebrate Saint Teresa of Calcutta, patron of Caritas Dalat, in the poetic green campus of the Dalat Pastoral Center.There were 22 priests concelebrating the Mass and about 1,000 Caritas members from parishes in the diocese attended. The participants in red uniforms were happy to meet each other again and visit each other after a long time of not being able to meet each other due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Father Gioan Bosco Hoang Van Chinh, director of Caritas Da Lat, said the mass also aimed to open the Season of Creation, starting with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Nature on September 1 and ending with the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4.
The director said that this event is an opportunity to encourage the spirit of charitable work of Caritas members after two years of stagnation due to the epidemic.
Caritas parishes will hold the official patron feast on September 5.
Preaching during the mass, Bishop Dominic said that Mother Teresa is a special example of modern times, a time when actions speak louder than words. Mom often said, “I may not speak their language, but I have a smile.”
He added that the Season of Creation reminds Caritas members to bring a smile to even the destroyed and lamented ecosystem, and to pay attention to ecological conversion and ecological ethics.
Ecological conversion is overcoming individualism to promote an ecologically ethical lifestyle and create meaningful changes for society and ecology. Ecological conversion can be expressed through small everyday things such as not using disposable plastic and paper, saving water and electricity, planting trees, and reusing something instead of throwing it away immediately.
The bishop said Christian spirituality believes in the principle of "less is more", and proposes a maturity marked by moderation, simplicity and happiness with small things. The flood of consumer goods makes many people no longer appreciate every thing and every moment in life.
The bishop praised the organizers for taking advantage of nature and creating a "beautiful scene like heaven."
The staff of Caritas Dalat Office spent a lot of time and effort to design and decorate the ceremony venue beautifully.
During the Mass, everyone stands on the green grass under tall pine trees decorated with colorful flower baskets.
A Caritas member said he was very happy to attend such an outdoor Mass for the first time, hearing the sounds of insects, smelling the fragrance of flowers and grass, and feeling close to nature, something he had never realized before.
“You can love and respect nature only when you touch it yourself,” said the coffee and mulberry farmer.
“Outdoor Masses like this will help motivate people to be aware of protecting the living environment, which is crying out for help because of human greed,” he said.
Before the Mass, participants listened to a presentation on the Encyclical Laudato Si' and shared information about organic farming and ways to protect the environment, and enjoyed music praising the life and service of Mother Teresa.
During the Season of Creation, Caritas members are invited to pray and care for the ecological environment, limit the use of motorbikes, sort trash at home, and work together to protect the environment in their local area.
This is the second time Caritas Da Lat has held an outdoor mass with many attendees. The previous event took place in May to celebrate Laudato Si' Week, commemorating the 7th anniversary of Pope Francis's issuance of this important encyclical.
Pham Tam
