Liveit! is a celebration of all livesimply has achieved, and an opportunity to debate and plan the future direction of the Catholic Church's work on social justice - It's taking place in Manchester - and is very much a national event so please take a look at the details by clicking on the liveit! logo below.
(Note this will take you out of the Maristway website.)
Live Simply
Live Simply; Reading the Signs of the Times
The Marist vision grew out of a particular time in history. In the years immediately following the end of the French Revolution the early Marists recognised that if people were to be brought back to Christ, a new way of being Church was needed. They needed to develop an understanding of the times in which they lived as this would enable them to respond to the needs of the ordinary men, women and children who were struggling to re-build their lives. They also needed to be fully engaged with the society in which they found themselves.
In our own times, the need for Mary's spirit to be alive and active in our world is even more urgent. It is by Marists being fully engaged in responding to the needs of our times that her spirit can be brought to bear on the situations in which we find ourselves.
We are all aware of the ecological crisis facing us and of the pressing need for us to take action now to preserve our planet for future generations.
For Christians, any action we take is grounded in our belief in a Creator God in whom we 'live and move and have our being' and in our belief that we are stewards of the earth. There is an urgency for us to reflect on our own lifestyle and consider how we can play our part in responding to the current crisis, reading the signs of the times as did the first Marists.
Begin somewhere...........................
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of issues affecting our environment but each of us can take just a few small steps.
Here are some ideas:
Plant a tree to mark special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or to celebrate the life of someone who has died.
Use re-usable bags when shopping. Refuse plastic carrier bags when just buying a couple of items.
Pick up litter.
Keep a compost bin. Many local councils provide them free
Recycle cans, bottles, newspapers etc.
Use a water butt to conserve water to use on the garden
Use low energy, long life light bulbs.
Get to know your neighbours—they are more likely to keep your home safe than energy-guzzling security lamps.
Use low-phosphate washing up liquid, washing powder and cleaning fluids. 'Ecover1 have a good range.
Turn off TVs and stereos instead of switching them to standby.
Support CAFOD's latest project livesimply.
livesimply.was launched on 26th November, 2006 and will run during 2007, the 25th anniversary year of Pope Paul V1's prophetic encyclical 'Populorum Progressio' (On the Progress of Peoples).
The inspiration behind livesimply comes from the encyclical written in 1967. Populorum Progressio sets out the social teaching of the Church in the face of the growing poverty and injustice of the developing world. It remains a clarion call for us to live a new kind of life, in a spirit of solidarity with the community, motivated by faith. The idea that God calls us to live simply is radical and in direct contrast to what western society demands of us—to earn more and more in order to consume on an ever grander scale.
The livesimply project takes up that radical idea. It calls on us to look hard at our lifestyles, and to choose to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor.
In this way we can help create a world in which human dignity is respected and everyone can reach their full potential. This would be true progress, worth more than economic growth alone.
Living simply in this sense is not just about money: many people, both in our own country and in the developing world, are forced to live very simple lives due to their economic circumstances.
Instead, this is a challenge to reflect, celebrate and take action in order to work for justice, and to be happier in ourselves as a result. It's about identifying what we need rather than grasping for more - sharing rather than hoarding.
The livesimply project aims to bring such vital moral reflections to life in the Church today. In 1967, Pope Paul VI looked at the great challenges of the age and what the Church should be doing about them. It is urgent for us to do the same for our own times.
Along with many other organisations the Marist Way is supporting the livesimply initiative by subscribing to the livesimply network.
Log onto http://www.livesimply.org.uk/ for more information, and/to order a livesimply action pack either for yourself or your Parish or Tel: 020 7733 7900. They cost £5.00 (taken from the livesimply web site)
livesimply prayer
Compassionate and loving God,
you created the world for us all to share,
a world of beauty and plenty.
Create in us a desire to live simply,
Creator God,
you gave us responsibility for the earth,
a world of riches and delight.
Create in us a desire to live sustainably,
so that those who follow after us
may enjoy the fruits of your creation.
God of peace and justice,
you give us the capacity to change,
to bring about a world that mirrors you wisdom.
Create in us a desire to act in solidarity,
so that the pillars of injustice crumble
and those now crushed are set free.
AMEN. (Linda Jones—CAFOD)