Liturgy of the land

Food and water, sunshine and rain, planting and harvesting – since humans first began cultivating the land many thousands of years ago, their lives have been shaped by the rhythms of the natural world. Yet in recent times, the progressive movement of millions of people away from the countryside and into city life has brought a break with our knowledge of the natural world. Children today can grow up with no idea of where or how their food is produced, no connection to the people who produce it and no interest in the effects of their lifestyle on the natural environment.

For Christians however, the language of the bible and the language of our liturgy today is still closely connected to the natural world.
Jesuit Fr Michael Woods teaches at Rome’s Gregorian University and has a special interest in the links between liturgy and life on the land. He talks to Philippa Hitchen......

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