Threshold Winter 2009

Justice Towards our Planet

Grounded in the monastic tradition and recognizing that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with God, oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part, we, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, acknowledge the unjust effects of our consumer lifestyle and firmly resolve to move toward ecological sustainability.
(adapted from a Leadership Conference of Women Religious resolution and the Earth Charter)

One of the most prominient justice issues in recent years has been responsible care of the planet and its resources. A monastic community by its nature is committed to reverence for every created thing.

Although the sisters have always been very conscientious about the goods they steward, they have made many recent efforts to confirm and strengthen that concern. Several groups and task forces have examined the issue from various perspectives.

Those responsible for facility maintenance make this concern an important part of their planning. Those who purchase for various departments are also looking at their practices. Each living group and individual sister has been asked to look at her own lifestyle. Sister Mary Palarino chaired the Ecological Sustainability Committee, which began in 2004 to help the community become more aware of the issues and the role of each person in protecting the earth’s resources.
She believes that our response is based not only on our Benedictine values, but on our most basic understanding of ourselves as created in God’s image. “There are two aspects of being the human mirror of God: creativity and relationship,” she concludes, which leads to many questions. “Do we use our creativity for life or for destruction? Are we in right relationship with other persons, the earth, and the larger whole of which we are all a part? Or do we exploit the Earth and its people for our own selfish comforts and pleasures? If we are the image of God, then how do we become more God like? How do we create for life and not for destruction? How do we foster right and just relationships?”

As each person must come to terms with these questions, small concrete steps can be taken to move in the right direction. The sisters offer a partial list to Threshold readers, to encourage the efforts of others.

Things we invite our friends to join us in doing:

BUY:
+ energy efficient appliances
+ hybrid cars
+ compact fluorescent light bulbs
+ environmentally friendly products
+ recycled and recyclable products
+ locally produced, socially responsibly produced, and fair trade products

DON’T BUY:
- cleaners, fertilizers or other household products that are petroleum or hazardous chemical based
- stock in companies that are not socially responsible
- products from companies with known human rights violations or unfair labor practices

Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can:
• Carpool, coordinate travel, use public transportation
• Reduce utility consumption by responsible water, electrical and heating/cooling use
• Explore alternatives for energy, household and personal products
• Limit use of disposable products
• Practice eating habits that promote optimal health, share limited resources, and promote sustainability