In 2016 Pope Francis named September 1st as a Day of Prayer for Creation. The day heralds the Season of Creation in the world. It is that moment in the annual calendar when we pause in contemplative stillness
To Behold the wonder of all being
To Praise and give Thanks
To Ponder the mass destruction of life because of greed and consumerism
To Reach out to those left behind by inequality
To Remember future generations
Pope Francis has referred many times to the fact that the natural environment and the human environment deteriorate together. The thirst for profit, regardless of who pays the price, has created obscene inequalities across the world. It has degraded the Earth and defiled the Holy.
We need a change of heart, an inclusive heart, a merciful heart, a global heart.
It is the Season of Creation. It is the Season to Live the Communion perhaps…
A Cup of Tea… An Ecumenical Prayer… A Contemplative Walk…An Open Door…. A Song of Praise….etc. Share your creative ideas with others. We will meet in the garden.
The heavens are telling the wonders of God
And the skies above declare what God has done
Day unto day pours forth the story
and night unto night makes known the knowledge. (Psalm 19)
Season of Creation: Weekly Themes
September 1st: Creation Day
September 6th: Forest Sunday
September 13th: Land Sunday
September 20th: Wilderness/Outback Sunday
September 27th: River Sunday
October 4th: St. Francis of Assisi
Resources: We will have resources from a number of Sisters available to us on the Website for the Season of Creation. These reflections/prayers/visuals will focus on the various themes for the Season.
Prayer
Creator of Life, At Your word, the Earth brought forth plants yielding seed and trees of every kind bearing fruit. The rivers, mountains, minerals, seas and forests sustained life. The eyes of all looked to You to satisfy the needs of every living thing. And throughout time the Earth has sustained life. Through the planetary cycles of days and seasons, renewal and growth, you open your hand to give creatures our food in the proper time.
In your Wisdom, you granted a Sabbath; a blessed time to rest in gratitude for all that you have given; a time to liberate ourselves from vicious consumption; a time to allow the land and all creatures to rest from the burden of production. But these days our living pushes the planet beyond its limits. Our demands for growth, and our never-ending cycle of production and consumption are exhausting our world. The forests are leached, the topsoil erodes, the fields fail, the deserts advance, the seas acidify, the storms intensify. We have not allowed the land to observe her Sabbath, and the Earth is struggling to be renewed.
During this Season of Creation, we ask you to grant us courage to observe a Sabbath for our planet. Strengthen us with the faith to trust in your providence. Inspire us with the creativity to share what we have been given. Teach us to be satisfied with enough. And as we proclaim a Jubilee for the Earth, send Your Holy Spirit to renew the face of creation.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen
Source: seasonofcreation.org
