The Season of Creation

Written on: August 28, 2018

Season of Creation:

Day of Prayer for Creation, September 1

Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4

“Who is my neighbor in a climate-threatened world?“

Resources from Catholic Health Ministry (CHA) 

Feast of St. Francis Prayer 2018

Feast of St. Francis Video Reflection

 Adapted from Catholic Relief Service Prayer: Show Me My Neighbor

Show me my neighbor– God of all love, as I step out the door. 
Show me my neighbor- As I read the news.
Show me my neighbor-As I pray…
Show me my neighbor- on my left, on my right; perhaps turning to me right now
Show me my neighbor- where my eyes have passed before and then turned away
Show me my neighbor- where my ears have heard cries that I have ignored
Show me my neighbor- as they share a story that is different from my story, help me to listen as if it is my own.
Show me my neighbor- As I open my senses to all of your creation
Show me my neighbor and then let me love them- in their joy and in their distress
Let me love them- that their delight be mine and their pain be mine, too
Let me love them- as completely and mercifully as you love me
Let me love them- in true solidarity, singing our songs together until a new song emerges
Let me love them- I look up now, God of love and grace.
Show me my neighbor

Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole of creation has been groaning in labor pains until now” (Romans 8:19-22).

• We confess our overuse of transportation
• We confess our hyper-consumption of food and energy
• We confess our soaps, cosmetics, our synthetic clothes
• We confess our junk, the piles of what we throw away
• We confess our mindset focused on desires, not needs
• We confess our unfaithfulness, not loving God’s creation fully
• We confess our lack of caring for the gift of creation
• We confess to not living fully, withholding ourselves from God and neighbor.

Spirit of Wisdom, help us in our weakness; deepen our prayer; draw forth the breath of prayer from deep within.

May God who established the dance of Creation, who marveled at the lilies of the field, who transforms chaos to order, lead us to transform our lives and the Church to reflect God’s glory in Creation.

We pray: Enlighten our hears and remain with your world

• O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
• Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
• We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.

The Season of Creation takes place from September 1, through October 4. The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is “Walking Together”  which leads directly to the the theme for the Feast of St. Francis which is:

“Who is my neighbor in a climate-threatened world?“

Taken together, these themes lead us to a deeper understanding of how our use of the Earth’s resources can impact not only our own country, but all beings throughout the world. The Eco-system, of which we are all a part, unites us as global citizens. The prayers, readings and reflections we will provide throughout the Season of Creation will serve to educate, and remind us, that respect for each other and our planet is ultimately our way of thanking God for all that is provided for us: water, land, and air.

Throughout this time we will be offering daily reflections and a variety of prayers and readings. This page will be updated weekly as we journey together throughout the Season!

Resources for the Season of Creation and Feast of St. Francis, come from the following:

Global Ecumenical resources available here Season of Creation

The Global Catholic Climate Movement is a member of the steering committee for Season of Creation.

Catholic Climate Covenant provides resources for the Feast of St. Francis (resources for liturgical celebrations, and educational presentations included)

Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach offers this weekly resource with an emphasis on our global community. Each week offers an opportunity to pray, to learn and to act. The Season of Creation. A Journey Around the World

For additional resources and the history of the Season of Creation, click here

This entry was posted in With a Heart for Justice and tagged: Catholic Climate Covenant, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, creation, Earth, Eco-system, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Global Catholic Climate Movement, God, Season of Creation