By Anastasia Pinto
Sr. Maamalifar M. Poreku, MSola joined The Lay Centre community for a special evening of reflection and dialogue on the global initiative “Sowing Hope for the Planet” on March 19. She is executive co-secretary of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of the USG and UISG.
Rooted in Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ landmark 2015 encyclical on care for our common home, this initiative invites us to embrace, on a personal level, small but meaningful ecological actions grounded in faith, responsibility, and love.
“To give hope, you don’t need to do big things,” she said. “Just little steps that engage and inspire.” It is this spirit that calls every person to be a custodian of creation—gentle yet urgent, a call that is present Pope Francis’ Laudato si’ encyclical letter.
A new relationship with the Earth
Through her sharing, Sr. Maamalifar invited us to rethink our relationship with nature. She reminded us that creation is a gift, not a resource to exploit or control. The call is not just to change systems, but to transform hearts. “I treat nature the way I want nature to treat me,” she said, urging us to move from exploitation to care, from indifference to intentionality.
She expressed how numerous religious communities are already responding to this call to ecological conversion by returning to organic agriculture, planting trees, and supporting local efforts to restore the soil— humble acts that hold the power to renew both the land and the lives that depend on it.
Faith in action
When asked whether sisters should focus more on preaching the Gospel than ecological work, Sr. Maamalifar responded by reflecting on the true nature of evangelization.
“It depends on how you understand preaching,” she said. “There are different ways to preach. We can preach through words and through actions.” Citing scripture from the Letter of James—“faith without works is dead”—she emphasized that as the Church, we are called to be contemplative in action.
In closing, Sr. Maamalifar emphasized that ecological conversion touches every dimension of our lives—spiritual, moral, and relational. As Scripture calls us to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God,” she reminded us that these words are not abstract ideals, but form the foundation for a new way of living—a way that integrates prayer and action, reverence and responsibility.
Photo: Karina Gandur
