Bangalore (India). To celebrate the year of Laudato Sì and the Time of Creation, the Communities of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Sacred Heart of Jesus Province (INK) gave life to cultivation by involving the members of the Educating Communities.
The Provincial, Sr. Celine Jacob, invited them to practice the “Ethics of Enough” in the communities, with a moderate and environmentally friendly life, providing with their own means for daily community needs and taking care of creation.
In the Message for the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation of 1 September 2020, Pope Francis stresses rediscovering more sustainable lifestyles: “The current pandemic has somehow led us to rediscover simpler and more sustainable lifestyles. The crisis, in a sense, has given us the opportunity to develop new ways of living. (…) The pandemic has brought us to a crossroads. We must take advantage of this decisive moment to put an end to superfluous and destructive activities and purposes, and to cultivate values, bonds, and generative projects.”
The choice to move towards the cultivation and care of different types of plants and vegetables is also dictated by the fact that the year 2020 was declared by the UN International Year of the health of the planet (IYPH), with the aim of raising global awareness of how plant health protection can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and promote economic development.
The Communities are involved in planting fruit trees and vegetables, to keep clean and not to pollute the environments and outdoor spaces of their homes and schools, with the collaboration of everyone.
In Sacred Heart of Jesus Provincial Community, each FMA has planned her own work activities in order to have time to dedicate to the cultivation of vegetables. Every day lay people, sisters, and staff, divided into three working groups according to the areas assigned to cultivation, carry out an hour of work in the garden.
The elderly sisters support the activities with prayer and encouragement: “everything is related, the authentic care of our own life and of our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice, and fidelity to others” (LS, 70).
