Honoring the role of contemplation in caring for our common home
On January 25, Laudato Si’ Movement and a group of partner organizations hosted a heartfelt 10-hour vigil to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’. This special event invited people worldwide to pause, reflect, and reconnect with each other and all creation through contemplation.
Contemplative Practices that Heal
The vigil’s contemplative practices offered an opportunity for participants to connect with the Spirit who unites and heals us. You are warmly invited to consider incorporating these practices into your own spiritual life.
- Deep Silence: Creating space for personal reflection.
- Breathing Exercises: Promoting mindfulness and presence.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Deepening spiritual connection.
- Sacred Word Practice: Reflecting on meaningful words.
- Lectio Divina with Laudato Si’: Meditating on the encyclical’s teachings.
A contemplative practice transforms us. It gives us a new way of experiencing our relationship with all God’s creation. As fires rage, seas rise, and storms descend, contemplation provides a place for us to encounter “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” By pausing to reflect, we recognize that care for our common home is not just about external action—it is also an inner journey of transformation.
A Global Gathering
The vigil brought together nearly 3,000 people from 38 countries, including Ireland, England, Scotland, Botswana, Norway, Spain, Zambia, France, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Ghana, El Salvador, South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, Poland, Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Liechtenstein, Venezuela, Chad, Portugal, Brazil, Cameroon, South Africa, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Argentina, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Colombia, Kenya, and Canada.
Coming from countries across the global South and the global North, participants united as a global family in the Spirit.
A Call to Action
The vigil was more than a celebration; it was a call to action, reminding us that our planetary crisis is integrally connected to our spiritual crisis.
Throughout this 10th anniversary year, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is Raising Hope for all creation. By celebrating the progress we’ve made throughout the past 10 years and looking ahead to even greater action in the future, we bring our unique gifts as Catholics to protect our common home.