Human Concerns Blog

Human Concerns at St. Anthony on the Lake, Our Common Home and Us: Air, Water and Food

Read: Mark 14:1-15:47 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? She has done a good thing for me… She has done what she could. This unnamed woman, in abundant love, was supremely generous to Jesus, nevermind the cost, nevermind infuriating others. Can the same be said of me? How far am I willing to go, how much am I willing to do in response to the Holy Spirit’s call? Sometimes it just feels… flat: I’ve prayerfully made little sacrifices, small changes in my daily habits, but how does that result in much of anything at all? Our faith tells us no matter how small my action, God magnifies every good thing and wastes nothing. “Personal climate action looks a lot like ripples expanding out from a pebble dropped in a pond.” The climate crisis we’re in now is not only going to be fixed with individual actions. But we aren’t only individuals. We’re part of communities, organizations, and systems. We can talk to others and listen to their views. We can advocate for change and watch the ripples expand. I invite you to think of three people in your sphere of influence, share with them the importance of protecting our planet for the people we love, and implore them to exert their influence to make a bigger impact. Check out these tips for spreading the word! Blessings, Kate

Read: John 11:1-45 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? The dead man came out tied hand and foot with burial bands… When I look around my closet I feel dread at all the stuff: some to keep and some to discard, some to fix (that I don’t know how to fix) or recycle (that I don’t know where to recycle). Worse, for every 1 ton of product purchased, 71 tons of waste was created to mine, manufacture, store, and transport it to market, including vast amounts of water. It clutters my closet and my heart, leaving me feeling positively bound and buried. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Jesus is calling, “come out! untie her!” Untied by finding joy in relationships, experiences, and nature. Untied by prayerfully leaving items behind at the store, grateful for future time I won’t be spending organizing my closet. And someday, untied when our economy is circular like the eco-system God created, in which nothing is wasted. I invite you to join me by decluttering this Lent (use this resource for hazardous waste and recycling tips), prayerfully considering purchases before making them, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate *This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.

Read: Psalm 23:1-6* and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? Besides restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul… Whenever the lake near our house is as smooth as glass, I have to pause and admire it; in the midst of busy-ness or boredom, joy or frustration, it refreshes my soul. It’s amazing that God wants to do that for me. And God wants to do that for you too. It’s easy to take water for granted, especially when it comes right out of the tap whenever I turn it on. I have 6 taps in my house, and for each I can choose hot or cold! Although 71% of the earth is covered in water, it is still important to conserve it in order to divert less from rivers, bays, and estuaries and reduce energy, pollution, and costs to treat, pump, and heat it. I invite you to join me by trying one (or more) of these water saving tips, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate *This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.

Read: Exodus 17:3-7* and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? In their thirst for water, the people grumbled… After feeling concerned about possible PFAS in our drinking water, we recently installed a water filter. I’m not going to lie, it tastes amazing. Clean drinking water has been an issue on tap, so to speak, since before the days of Moses. And why shouldn’t it be? It comprises about 60% of our bodies and we can only live about 3 days without it. The good news is 73% of the global population has access to clean drinking water. The bad news is 27% don’t. It’s a worldwide issue, and also a local one: in Milwaukee, drinking water can contain lead, leading to all kinds of issues for children’s brain development. Water contamination could even make a person grumble. Somewhere along the way we thought we’d quench our thirst with bottled water, but, while it may be convenient, this is a false solution. Unlike tap water, bottled water is not regulated, and the process of producing, transporting, distributing and disposing of bottles is harmful to our common home. This Lent, I invite you to join me in learning about water contamination or bottled water from one of the sources linked above, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate *This passage is from Year A readings, which are used when the scrutines are celebrated with the elect. If there are no elect, we will hear Year B readings proclaimed at Mass.

Read: Mark 9:2-10 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? Let us make three tents… Sometimes I get stuck in a rut, and sometimes I get stuck on a mountaintop. Peter wants to “get stuck” when he suggests pitching tents; he wants to hang out and enjoy the scenery for a while. But there are things to do and places to be, so God rejects the tent idea. As a society, we’ve certainly been stuck - stuck depending on fossil fuels. In some ways it’s been a great view. After all, I enjoy lights and heat. But in other ways it’s definitely a rut. Either way, it’s time to move on. Did you know that 90 percent of the world’s electricity can and should come from renewable energy by 2050? While that’s great news, I don’t want to sit around and wait for that to happen when my lights (likely powered by coal) and heat (powered by methane gas) are on right now. Luckily there are many ways I can reduce my energy use. I invite you to join me by trying one (or more) of these energy saving tips, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate

Read: Genesis 9:8-15 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings… Flooding, devastation, destruction. That’s what Noah witnessed and God promised would never happen again by God’s hand. God loved his creatures enough to begin anew with a covenant of love and hope. Yet “the excessive amount of land and water that people are using has killed 70% of terrestrial biodiversity and 50% of freshwater biodiversity”. Most of this land and water use is from agriculture: what we choose to eat and what we meant to eat but wasted instead. In many traditions, Lent is a time of fasting and abstinence from food. For me, hunger reminds me of my dependence on God, calls me to prayer, and spiritually connects me with those without enough to eat. But what if I go deeper still, and acknowledge the toll my dietary choices take on our common home, and maybe even on my relationship with God? When I “eat lower on the food chain” by choosing vegetarian or chicken instead of red meat, or when I “treat meat as a condiment” I use significantly fewer resources. Meal planning and composting are also useful strategies I can use to reduce resource use and landfill emissions. I invite you to join me in reducing food wate by checking out SaveTheFood.com, and while you're at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate

Read: Joel 2:12-18 and pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection (below) and pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? Rend your hearts… “This is a true and dire health emergency… huge levels of [a carcinogen] have just been found on top of the years of already unacceptable pollution we have been breathing,” Few people realize that single use plastics is not just about recycling and landfills. It’s not just about fossil fuels. It’s also about the real toll that pollution from plastic production takes on people like Robert Taylor in communities like The Mississippi River Chemical Corridor in Louisiana - a community commonly known as “Cancer Alley.” Sometimes it’s a joy for me to avoid single use plastics: I don’t lug heavy water bottles home from the store, my trash can doesn’t overflow, and my laundry strips are far less messy than liquid detergent. But sometimes it’s inconvenient: when I forget my shopping bags and unload groceries one by one, when people give me and my reusable to-go containers funny glances, or when I bring my own plate and silverware to church events. Instead of viewing it as a hassle, I connect my faith with my actions and view it as a small sacrifice offered in prayer and thanksgiving. I’m not doing it alone either; I’m doing it for Robert Taylor. And maybe along the way, I’m rending my heart. I invite you to join me in reducing your (single use) plastics. Check this out for ideas, and while you’re at it, spread the word! Blessings, Kate

Welcome to our Lenten Scriptural Reflections on Creation Care! I am excited to journey through Lent together! When God created the earth and all the living things (including us!), God called it “very good.” When we look to nature, we can see this goodness everywhere. When we receive a very good gift, it’s best to appreciate it, thank the giver, and take care of it… and that’s what Care for Creation is all about. We, Earth Ministry within Human Concerns, are excited to embark on this journey together, walking through Lent with our Creator. By subscribing or following our blog, you will be invited to join us each week to: Read: the scripture selection identified for the Ash Wednesday or Sunday reading. Pray or journal: what word or phrase speaks to your emotion or intellect? Read: the provided reflection linking the scripture selection to creation care. Pray or journal: what speaks to your emotion or intellect and what might you do? Blessings, Kate (Chair of Human Concerns)