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A man carries his children through floodwatersbrought on by Typhoon Ketsana, known locally as Ondoy,
in San Pedro Laguna, south of Manila
October 1, 2009.
Millions of people were battling on Thursday
to cope with the aftermath of a typhoon
that cut a destructive path through parts
of Southeast Asia,
killing 400, as a stronger storm
emerged off the Philippines.
REUTERS/John Javellana
(PHILIPPINES SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT DISASTER)
There is a reason to be thankful for at the moment, the powerful typhoon PEPENG (PARMA) slowly moved out to sea on Sunday after slamming into the remote northeastern of the country. It is the strongest typhoon to hit the country since 2006.
In ORATIO IMPERATA (Obligatory Prayer) we prayed:
We acknowledge our sins against You and the rest of creation. We have not been good stewards of Nature. We have confused Your command to subdue the Earth. The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing, and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference. Typhoons are but one of the effects of Global warming; floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other natural calamities occur in increasing number and intensity.
It seems that our prayers (including my wife's prayers to spare our country and save our people) have been heard through the intercession of the Patron Saint of Ecology, Francis of Assisi. Today is the feast day of Francis!(Francesco)
"Francis has been named the Patron of Ecology. His deep sense of the interconnectedness of all creatures came to him not from books, but as he spent time in reflection and mediation of the goodness of God. He lovingly called each creature by the name of Brother or Sister. He spoke with tenderness of each insect and plant and all that adorned the earth."
~Sister Cordy Korkowski, OSF
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
~From Francis' The Canticle of the Sun,
also known as the Laudes Creaturarum
("Praise of the Creatures")
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
~From Francis' The Canticle of the Sun,
also known as the Laudes Creaturarum
("Praise of the Creatures")
Yesterday was the Moon Cake Festival (taking place on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month – around mid-September – at the autumn equinox), may also be refereed to as Mid-Autumn Festival.
In China, the moon symbolizes beauty and elegance – and a trusted friend. Moon Cake Festival is about families meeting together, as the full moon rises. They watch the glowing moon rise, eat moon cakes and sing moon poems.
As, on the one hand, Francesco praise our Lord through our Sister Moon, the Moon Festival, on the other hand, is an occasion for family reunions.
May our hearts be like Francesco's. May the Lord continously be praised through a deep sense of the interconnectedness of all life, of all created things, of all creatures and of all creation.
As, on the one hand, Francesco praise our Lord through our Sister Moon, the Moon Festival, on the other hand, is an occasion for family reunions.
May our hearts be like Francesco's. May the Lord continously be praised through a deep sense of the interconnectedness of all life, of all created things, of all creatures and of all creation.
Sources:
http://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/wb/sat_images/satellite.gif
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091004/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_storm
http://livingfranciscan.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
http://asterling.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341ed39853ef0115702bd3cc970b-800wi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canticle_of_the_Sun
http://www.webster.edu/~barrettb/canticle.htm
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/festival-moon-cake.htm
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