Laudato Si’ Week 2023 was celebrated May 21-28 with emphasis on promoting the film “The Letter” documentary by Pope Francis to mark the eighth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for creation. This global celebration united young people, Catholics and people of good will to rejoice in the progress made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and show how the protagonists of “The Letter” are already doing so. we also celebrated our efforts in popularizing the use of media to communicate Laudato Si and inspire more Laudato Clubs.

Andy writes her thoughts about Laudato Si’ week...

What comes to your mind when you think of a puzzle? Close your eyes and imagine one for a moment.  Some pieces look identical to each other, but they all fit in a specific spot. Sometimes you try to put a piece but if it’s in the wrong direction, even if it is in the right spot, it won’t fit in. Other times you can swear the piece is missing, but it’s been in front of you all along, you just didn’t see it. But the fun part is that you have to look at each piece to form the big picture. What would happen if one of the pieces was eaten by your dog? Would your puzzle change? How would it change?

The world has been thriving in a sense. There is unimaginable technology like Al, plenty of ways of transportation, cures to thousands of diseases… But, at the same time, the human spirit has been reduced to the value of material acquisitions. Society has promoted the idea that the more you have, the more successful you are. And some of the consequences that bring are nothing more than hopelessness, despair, envy, and impotence. First, because material things tend to be expensive and not everyone can afford them all. But also, because the values in society are being misplaced. What is it that matters?

What happened to the meaning of family, love, and honor? What happened to the connection with nature? And if you still believe in that, then you are familiar with the feeling of loneliness that it implies. All small actions have a consequence even if it doesn’t seem like it. We are all part of a big puzzle and what we do, matters. We were all created in such a unique way with a purpose to fulfill. And even still, individual power looks like nothing compared to that of the world’s population; mass power. But just imagine that the tiny actions you make every day are replicated by millions. How many plastic bottles would be recycled? How much water would be saved? How many straws would not be used? How many smiles would be given to strangers? How many people would feel listened to? Just as Howard Zinn said, “Small acts when multiplied by a million, can transform the world”.

This past month, people raised awareness about the importance of the Earth. We have the knowledge and the skills to stop and reverse the destructive path that our planet is heading to. So, in the week of May 21 through May 28, we have to challenge ourselves and set our ideas into motion. Laudato Si week will be happening and it is the perfect time to step out of our comfort zone and place ourselves in the correct direction following this year’s slogan “Hope for the Earth. Hope for humanity”.

So the next time you feel that what you do doesn’t matter, think about how you contribute to the bigger picture. How do you impact those around you? How do you fit into the puzzle? Why are you a piece of the puzzle? These questions are not easy to answer, but if you even remotely get close to truly answering them then you will have discovered you have the power to change the world.