RECIPE
THIRD WEEK OF LENT
Reading - John 2:13-15
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and she and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’
Reflection
Inconsistency did not sit well with Jesus and hypocrisy was a special target for Him. He got really angry with those who were taking advantage of others in the Temple area. He could not reconcile this kind of behaviour with the spirit of a place of worship and refuge. When we say ‘Amen’ before receiving the body and blood of Christ we are accepting the challenge to be Christ to other people. We are inconsistent when we gather for communion but ignore our moral responsibility to build up Christ’s kingdom of justice, love and peace. The many examples of injustice in the world today should make us so angry that we get actively involved in highlighting particular causes and looking for solutions to them. Not everyone can be physically active but each of us can play our part in our own way. You might like to sign a petition today to be sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission or the United Nations Organisation that would encourage those in authority to lobby more on behalf of the displaced people throughout the world but particularly in Somalia and South Sudan. Contact Trócaire (01 6293333) for details.
Plant a tree this Lent!
Care for the environment is consistent with our calling to be stewards of all creation. Eco Congregation Ireland strongly encourages all churches, as part of their Lenten discipline, to support Vita's Trees for Life campaign. By donating €100 an oak tree will be planted in Marley Park, Dublin and 90 moringa trees will be planted in Ethiopia. Also known as miracle trees, moringa trees are one of the keys to ending hunger and malnutrition in many parts of the world affected by poverty, drought, disease and food shortages. Fast-growing, drought-tolerant and pest-resistant, every part of the tree can be used for fuel, food or medicine. For further information see www.vita.ie. Alternatively, congregations could plant a tree in their church grounds and make a donation to Vita or another charity that works with people affected by climate change in developing countries. Trees, after all, are one of the greatest natural defences against climate change. Tree-planting is not only essential to protect the future of the earth, but also the future of the economy
Global economy losing more from deforestation than banking crisis
The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study. The annual cost of forest loss is estimated at between $2 trillion and $5 trillion. As forests decline, nature stops providing services which it used to provide essentially for free. So the human economy either has to provide them instead, perhaps through building reservoirs, facilities to sequester carbon dioxide or farming foods that were once naturally available. Or we have to do without them. Either way, there is a financial cost. The cost falls disproportionately on the poor, because a greater part of their livelihood depends directly on the forest, especially in tropical regions.
FASTING
‘In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18). He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4,4). The true fast is thus directed to eating the “true food,” which is to do the Father’s will (cf. Jn 4,34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,” the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy.’
POPE BENEDICT XVI – MESSAGE FOR LENT 2009
BAKED VEGETABLE RICE
3 tbsps olive oil
4 shallots sliced
1 carrot diced
3 cloves garlic sliced
5 ozs peas – fresh or frozen
2 tomatoes diced
14 oz rice
1 litre vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in frying pan and add shallots carrot and sauté.
Add garlic and cook to 2 more minutes.
Mix the remaining ingredients in an ovenproof dish 12in x 8in
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
A Thought
A day lived in unity with nature is a day lived as a circle continuously flowing in the eternal interconnectedness of creation.
Sister Stan – Seasons of the Day
Useful Link
www.ecocongregationireland.org - Tel:(+353) 86 170 6923 or Fiona Murdoch, Communications Officer, Eco CongregationIreland