Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor

 

“Despite sharp falls in carbon emissions in 2020 linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis – which is driven by the accumulation of emissions in the atmosphere over time – continue to grow.” – Oxfam, 2020  https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/621052/mb-confronting-carbon-inequality-210920-en.pdf

 Climate change hits poorer communities first (due to geography), hardest (due to lack of infrastructure) and unjustly (due to their lesser rates of consumption and emission). As I watch our students prepare for activities related to care for creation and righteous stewardship, I can’t help but ask myself - Is their message for themselves? Or for us? How can I take the call to be brother earth’s keeper more seriously? Not only for its own sake, but for the sake of all who do and will live on it, particularly the vulnerable? How have I benefited from practices that spoil me and deprive others?

 To help, I look to Laudato Si action platform, which gauges what actions individuals and parishes can do to conserve the resources of the earth, which are rightfully the property of all. (https://laudatosiactionplatform.org)

 

“When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.” -St Basil the Great

Our Lady of Suyapa

The most popular subject of devotion in Honduras is Our Lady of Suyapa. In 1925, Pope Pius XI declared her Patroness of Honduras under the title Our Lady of Suyapa, and selected February 3 as her feast day. In 1954, a large Basilica was built next to the chapel.  The statue of the Virgin spends most of her time in the chapel, but every year before the celebration of her festival, the statue is moved into the larger church to accommodate the crowds. Today, she was brought to the local Catholic university and we (along with the staff and students of the schools run by the diocese) got to meet her!

The statue is considered to have miraculous powers. The swift ending of the Football War between Honduras and El Salvador is attributed to the statue. Many of the Honduran soldiers involved reported visions of the Virgin, which calmed their fears during the fighting. In 1969 The Virgin of Suyapa was declared Captain General of the Armed Forces of Honduras. 

Back In The Building!

The students are now receiving their services in-person at Escuelita Nazareth! 

A typical day includes breakfast and instruction in academics, as appropriate to each child’s age and severity of disability. Currently I intervene during behavioral incidents and observe students in class while my list of unevaluated students is being compiled. 

-Jacob

Farmers' Checkpoint

It is taking a lot longer than anticipated to complete the paperwork for our residency, so we’re on our way to Tegucigalpa for an extension.  En route we got stopped by a group of…dairy farmers!! And they weren’t checking for drugs or guns, they were checking for…butter and cheese! They didn’t want the money to leave Olancho!

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

Last week was of course, Holy Week.  On holy Wednesday mass, practically the whole town shut down, leaving an aura of waiting in its wake. On Thursday and Friday, re-enactments of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Our Lord were staged. We were told it was a pious practice to not listen to music or even wash our clothes from Wednesday mass until Easter, just because all wasn’t “business as usual” for all creation. It was surreal - as if our little world stood still in awe and thanks.

Here are pictures of the street decorations for Holy Week.

Embrace The Waste

We were supposed to be in the capitol, Tegucigalpa, today to finally get our status as residents verified. Last week the family was sick and today, the van that was to take us experienced troubles on the way out of town.

This reminds me of just how much efficiency is a product of luxury: the poorer one is, the less quality of products one has access too, the less quality of products, the more they slow down and malfunction. As one used to getting things done effectively and efficiently, this has been a struggle to get used to: frustration and impatience raise their ugly heads even though it’s really nobody’s fault.

One wonders what they’re even doing if things aren’t tangibly being accomplished. In moments like this, I must remind myself of the woman who anointed Jesus before his crucifixion - chided by the apostles for her waste, she was told what she did was beautiful and that she would be remembered for it.

Another consolation was on our bishop’s letter to the migration office, bearing his motto: “patientia omnia potest”, “patience can do all things”

Update:

Today, we all woke up at 4:30 am (again), loaded up for Tegucigalpa (again)…and had to turn back (again!!!)  Protests against high gas prices made the city risky. If it’s this difficult to stay documented with help from locals, imagine what it’s like if locals are hostile!

In Prison And You Visiting Me

This past Saturday I (Jacob) visited the local jail thanks to the ongoing ministry of a priest here in Juticalpa. I asked to take a photo of the jail and was denied, so sorry-no pics! 

I expected only a few people to be interested in talking with me - I was wrong! In a mere matter of minutes I was speaking to an entire chapel full of people! Now that I have a whole group interested, I’ll be starting a psychoeducational group on Saturdays to teach the inmates ways to challenge maladaptive thinking and cope with unhelpful emotions.