In his recent encyclical "Laudato Si'," Pope Francis has called on Catholics to care for God's creation. We care, or do not care, for creation in the decisions we make every day.
For example, when we buy eggs at the grocery store, do we buy eggs produced by caged chickens at factory farms? If so, we are not caring for creation. Instead, we are supporting factory farms systems which employ the worst forms of animal cruelty. This same concept also applies to the purchase of veal and pork.
In factory farming operations, calves raised for veal are confined to small enclosures in which they are not able to turn around, much less walk or run. Pigs are raised on concrete in gestation crates, where they also are unable to turn around. These animals never have access to sunshine or green grass.
Chickens in battery cage operations are treated worst of all. Four or five hens are crammed into a small cage not much larger than a piece of notepaper, where they have no rooms to stretch their wings or walk. Cages filled with hens are stacked, row upon row, with no access to sunshine, fresh air or grass. The hens live this way for about two years, at which time they are deemed "spent" and then sent to slaughter.
If we are serious about caring for creation, we will not just care about the humane treatment of dogs and cats. We must care about all God's creatures. Because money seems to speak, our purchases hold great power. We can choose to purchase meat, dairy and eggs from animals which are humanely raised. Better yet, we can forgo the consumption of these products or at least reduce the amount we consume. These choices will better conserve the resources of this planet as a whole, since a large amount of land and water is used to raise grains for farm animal feed.
— April J. Boyle lives in Asheville.
In response to Deacon Jim Toner's Aug. 14 commentary "Happy homilies," I agree with most of what he wrote, but I would like to suggest that the real importance – the real point – of a homily is much more than preaching the "hard sayings."
In my limited experience as a Catholic, I have observed there are two types of people who go to Mass: those who go out of a sense of obligation, and those who truly understand the Sacrifice of the Mass. In either case, both types of people are looking for the same thing: that challenge Deacon Toner spoke of. Yet most preachers, even if they preach a joke or preach the hard stuff, miss the most important piece – the piece that gives the people in the pews something to do, something that actually pertains to their lives right then and there. A preacher could give the best homily in the world about the "hard sayings," but if he does not instruct people how to change their lives, the people will exit their pews uninspired and unfocused.
A pastor I know once gave a great homily about one of Pope Francis' teachings to young people, in which the pope challenged them to "make noise." This pastor continued to emphasize the pope's teaching, but he failed to tell the people how and what it means to "make noise." Some could probably figure it out on their own, but most probably went through the rest of their week with no inclination to "make noise" because they had no idea what that meant. The practical application to their lives was not present; therefore, they had no idea how to implement such a teaching in their daily activities.
Pope Francis said in his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium": "The homily is the touchstone for judging a pastor's closeness and ability to communicate to his people. We know that the faithful attach great importance to it, and that both they and their ordained ministers suffer because of homilies: the laity from having to listen to them and the clergy from having to preach them! It is sad that this is the case. The homily can actually be an intense and happy experience of the Spirit, a consoling encounter with God's word, a constant source of renewal and growth." When is the last time you thought that about a homily you heard?
— George Brunner lives in Greensboro and serves in campus ministry at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.