Introduction
The celebration of the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ is, for us, Religious of the Blessed Sacrament, a special moment for reflection. Faced with the global ecological crisis, the Church reminds us that the environmental issue is not merely scientific or economic, but also moral and spiritual. The integral ecology proposed by the Holy Father links Christian faith, social justice, human dignity and respect for creation. At the heart of this vision lies the Eucharist, the source and summit of Christian life. How, then, can our Eucharistic spirituality shed light on and nourish ecological conversion today? To answer this question, we will first show how the Eucharist constitutes the summit of integral ecology. Next, we will present some ideas from Pope Francis’ ecological Magisterium as a prophetic call. Finally, we will highlight the ecological dimension of our spirituality.
I. The Eucharist, the summit of integral ecology
The Eucharist is defined by the Second Vatican Council as the source and summit of Christian life[1]. As for Pope Francis, “in the Eucharist all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation”[2]. This statement reveals the cosmic dimension of the sacrament: bread and wine, fruits of the earth and human labour, are taken up by Christ to become a sacrament of salvation. Thus, creation is not alien to the Eucharistic mystery; it is integrated into it and transfigured. In celebrating the Eucharist, we recognise that the earth is a gift and not merely a resource to be exploited. Communion with Christ implies: caring for our common home and defending the poorest, who are the first victims of ecological imbalances. The Eucharist restores the broken relationships between God, humanity and nature, and thus becomes the foundation of a true ecological ethic.
II. The prophetic call of the ecological Magisterium
The encyclical LS strongly emphasises that the earth “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her”[3]. Thus, the ecological crisis the world is facing is not merely a crisis related to the cosmos, but also a moral and spiritual crisis. For the Pope, if there is an external desert, it is because there is an internal desert[4]. The ecological crisis is a symptom of a deeper crisis: that of the human heart. Deforestation and pollution bear witness to an irresponsible use of the goods that God has entrusted to humanity. In our African context, and particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the excessive felling of trees and the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources are causing a serious imbalance in the ecosystem. Experts report the disappearance of certain medicinal plants and other forest products, the scarcity of wildlife, and, as a consequence, famine. We follow the Holy Father in believing that to destroy the order of creation is to disrupt the harmony intended by God. Hence the call to the entire human family for ecological conversion.
III. Ecological conversion at the heart of SSS Eucharistic spirituality
Our Rule of Life invites us to continually deepen our understanding of the Eucharistic mystery and to heed the signs of the times. The ecological crisis is one such urgent call. For us, religious of the Blessed Sacrament, integral ecology flows naturally from our charism. Father Eymard’s spiritual experience at Saint-Romans illustrates this dynamic well. In his contemplation of nature, Father Eymard discovered God’s goodness manifested in creatures. Creation became for him a divine mirror and a mystical ladder leading to adoration. Thus a spiritual dynamic takes shape: to contemplate, to adore, to give thanks, and then to commit oneself. The Eucharist calls us to recognise the presence of Christ not only in the Sacrament, but also in the poor and in the wounded creation. Every Mass then becomes a school of integral ecology and a sending forth on mission to work for the transfiguration of the world.
Conclusion
The celebration of the tenth anniversary of LS invites us to renew our spiritual and missionary commitment. The Eucharist, the heart of our religious life, is also the heart of our response to the ecological crisis and the hungers of humanity. By becoming profoundly Eucharistic men, we become artisans of reconciliation between God, humanity and creation. May this commemoration rekindle in us contemplation, conversion of heart and concrete commitment to the safeguarding of our common home.
Father Jean-Willy Mupila, SSS
Inter-African Scholasticate Emmaus
Province Bl. Isidore Bakanja, D.R.Congo
[1] Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, no. 11.
[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ on Care for Our Common Home, Kinshasa, Médiaspaul, 2015, no. 236.
[3] Ibid., no. 2.
[4] Ibid., no. 217.
