Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ...will surely not lose his reward.

Jesus speaks about "giving a cup of water." He lived in an arid land and knew that a cup of water could make a difference between life and death. It still does today. Thomas Freidman the insightful NY Times writer recently wrote that perhaps the one factor that could unite all th warring tribes of the Middle East could well be the environmental crisis that confronts them: the challenge from global warming. That area of the world is drying up and evaporating. He mentioned one city in Iran thst recently reached a temperature of 167 degrees unsustainable for life.

Today an Arizona congressman boycotted the Pope's speech to Congress because he did not want to hear about climate change. Said the Pope should stick to "religion." but the Pope's encylical on the environment IS a religious document as were his remarks to Congress.

The encylical on climate change is suffused with creation spirituality. At age 56, I was immersed in this ancient spirituality, influenced by Mattew Fox's book, Original Blessings which explained that eons before humans invented sin, the planet was an original blessing, one to be cherished, and cared for.

And Creation Spirituality is what suffused the life of Saint Francis himself. It was predictive of what was to come when the new Pope chose the name: Francis.

In today's second reading,the Epistle of St. James challenges the rich, just as Pope Francis has.

And Francis does this not just by words, but by his actions, reaching out to the poor, the forgotten, the marginalized.

Was it deliberate or accidental that an hour before the Pope's helocopter arrived in New York, Donald Trump's arrived at the Trump Tower. Donald says, "I like the Pope!" Well good for him.

Now Donald, hear what he is saying.