Church buildings are also in need of cleaning. After many functions and events the cleaning awaits. After the events we leave behind litter but few are those who will spend time putting everything in its original spots, for we think it is the work for others. We who are Catholics have been given the mission of taking care of God's creation but she wonders how many are conscious of this mandate. A religious sister wants us to reflect on this issue in her article on the opinion page of the Catholic Times.
We need to consider the culture with its incessant drive to consume and to ignore the ecological issues in our society. Trash, nuclear energy, environmental destruction, pollution, radioactivity and the like are put on the back burner, and even talking about the problems is considered out of place in many quarters.
There is always a minority who see the problems and are willing to sacrifice for them. Korean Bishops during their spring meeting have decided to set up a committee to consider the problems we have with environment. She hopes priests will use the information in their sermons.
She wants us to be more sensitive to the many who work in the cleaning jobs of the world, who without notice, quietly work at their tasks. She hopes that we will be interested in their joys and sorrows and she wants us to express thanks for what they do to care for our health and well being from early morning.
She concludes with the hope that when we use and discard anything we will give the action some thought. With the new committee she hopes the Church will take more interest in God's creation and its care and will be waiting to hear their voice.
