Befriend ‘Social Distancing’ with Pope Francis
On May 24th, five years ago Pope Francis wrote a letter- Laudato Si’ – encouraging us to take care of our common home– the earth. Today, we in Northern Ireland like many people in the world are coping with the Covid -19 pandemic. We are at home because of the virus and many of our shops and businesses are closed with our families and friends working from home or have no work. The message in the letter, Pope Francis sent us five years ago, was ‘to seek a new beginning’ – a good idea surely to help us cope in our present situation!
A1. Being Happy during Social Distancing- ‘less is more’
- During ‘social distancing’ what activities shown in the cartoon are helping you to take care of yourself? List other activities that you are doing to help yourself? List them in order of your preference.
- In what ways are these activities making you feel happy?
A 2. Restrictions on social contacts and not going places can help us to develop the habit of being happy with less
During ‘Social Distancing’ shopping centres not are not open, going to the cinema is not possible, neither is spending time in Cafés with friends or team sports– yet feeling happy and content is possible.
- What positive things are you doing that help you feel happy and grateful?
- List these things in order of your preference. Identify one good habit that you will carry with you when ‘social distancing’ ends?
- Write a letter to Pope Francis and/or a local newspaper explaining how ‘social distancing’ has given you an opportunity to put in place a ‘new beginning’ for yourself.
“Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life ….. one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession of consumption ….. it is the conviction that ‘less is more’. Laudato Si’ Paragraph 222