Everyday life - St. Francis of Assisi, PEI

"When leaders in various fields ask me for advice, my response is always the same: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. The only way for individuals, families and societies to grow, the only way for the life of peoples to progress, is via the culture of encounter, a culture in which all have something good to give and all can receive something good in return. Others always have something to give me, if we know how to approach them in a spirit of openness and without prejudice. This open spirit, without prejudice, I would describe as “social humility”, which is what favours dialogue. Only in this way can understanding grow between cultures and religions, mutual esteem without needless preconceptions, in a climate that is respectful of the rights of everyone. Today, either we take the risk of dialogue, we risk the culture of encounter, or we all fall; this is the path that will bear fruit." APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO ON THE OCCASION OF THE XXVIII WORLD YOUTH DAY, MEETING WITH BRAZIL'S LEADERS OF SOCIETY, ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS, Municipal Theatre, Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, 27 July 2013

Thank You Mike, Doug, Louise and Marion!

The example of Pope Francis shows us how we can perform simple actions for social justice in our everyday lives. Here are two more actions that the St. Francis of Assisi fraternity, PEI have contemplated:
5. Holy Week service at a youth prison - in March 2013, Pope Francis broke with tradition by holding a major Holy Week service at Casal del Marmo jail. Commemorating Jesus' gesture of humility towards his apostles, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders, women and Muslims.
6. Protect the Amazon rainforest and its First Nations - during his visit to Brazil, Pope Francis met with the First Nations who had been fighting ranchers and farmers attempting to invade their lands. He requested that the Amazon be treated as a garden and protected along with its First Nations.

JPIC Actions for July and August 2014 were:
1. Sort waste properly - PEI has one of the most comprehensive waste disposal programs in Canada. Over the last 10 years, Islanders have diverted over 690,000 tonnes from landfill through recycling, composting and special disposal programs.
2. Dry clothes on the line or use a drying rack as dryers use a lot of energy. A typical PEI household uses the dryer 24 hours a month at a cost of $18.00.
3. Read Chapter 4 of The Joy of the Gospel in preparation for the October retreat. Notice how it addresses issues of Social Justice and Ecumenism.