b'C L A S S R O O M I D E APRINT COPIES FOR CLASS: SMP.ORG/ASPIREVOL1EY ES THAT SE Eby Alan J. Talley and Scott HolzknechtAnd how can we remain indifferent to the prospect of an ecological crisis which is making vast areas of our planet uninhabitable and hostile to humanity? (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church)Have you ever noticed how young children will cover their eyes when they are frightened? As we get older, we realize that simply covering our eyes will not make what is frightening us go away. The Church reminds us that when it comes to the enormous and frightening challenges we have in caring for Gods creation, we cannot simply cover our eyes and hope it all goes away. The destruction of wetlands and rainforests, global warming, and animal extinctions are not only about respecting Gods creation but about our survival as well. We are called to open our eyes and confront the problems.Lord, the effects of humankinds choices have taken a toll on the environment. Help us work to reverse those effects and set in motion a time of renewal.Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church This re ection is an excerpt from www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ Everyday Justice, by Alan J. Talley ponti cal_councils/justpeace/documents/ and Scott Holzknecht (Winona, rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio- MN: Saint Marys Press, 2009). dott-soc_en.html, accessed March 12, 2009.Copyright2009 by Saint Marys Copyright2004, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Press. All rights reserved.38 AspireVolume 1//Winter 2020 Subscribe today!smp.org/aspire'