How necessary it is for monks to work in the fields, in the rain, in the sun, in the mud, in the clay, in the wind: these are our spiritual directors and our novice-masters. They form our contemplation. They instill us with virtue. They make us as stable as the land we live in.
—Thomas Merton, The Sign of Jonas
16th May 2020 to 24th May 2020 was celebrated as Laudato Si Week. These were days where every member in St.Joseph Convent Khandwa mirrored themselves with the Beautiful Nature. Each day different themes on nature were focused on like Praying rosary in the campus Reflecting on the mother earth, Nature meditation, Experiencing and expressing the giftedness of everything in the creation, Discovering amazing things, Giving more importance to awareness of using things just as per the need, We are all connected and Smile on the world. These themes made each one ask themselves where do they stand in having the deep communion with the nature and encouraged each one to take action of our own to help safeguard the species under threat and the beautiful nature around us.
A prayer of gratitude overflowed from their heart for the ways in which God inspires and sustains their breath, for the fire of compassion and illumination, for the life-giving grace and flow of water, and for the nourishment of the earth. Each one was enlightened to discern on how to make good use of the five elements as the gifts received from God and be an advocate for our earth.
Being rooted in reflecting on the elements, each one forged an awareness of how much we are a part of creation. They experienced themselves as a part of the matrix of the natural world and as creatures just like other creatures. In opening themselves to these metaphors for how God works in the world, they discovered a God who dwells in the heart of all living things, who sustains and transforms creation moment by moment, and who is an indispensable presence in the world.
Various activities were carried out throughout these days such as cleanliness drive , plantation drive, etc. The drive was appreciated by the participants as one of its kind and first time working in collaboration with our co-workers. An awareness of making efforts for dreaming and creating a better world arose in each one.
