Preparing for the Season of Creation

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’ by Pope Francis and the 800th anniversary of the composition of the Canticle of the Creatures (Laudato Si, O mi Signore) by St Francis of Assisi.

The Norwich Secular Franciscans invite you to join our Day of Recollection on Saturday 20 September, from 11.00am to 4.00pm, at St George’s, Sprowston, Norwich NR3 4HZ. Please bring food to share for lunch.

Prayer for Creation

(from the Bishops’ Conference website)

“This prayer can be used on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated on 1 September, or at any time during or after the Season of Creation.”

The Season of Creation begins on 1 September and lasts until 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. During this time, we are encouraged to pray and take part in community events in order to deepen our relationship with God, our neighbour, and the earth we share – becoming ever more attentive to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

Prayer

Father, Lord of all creation,

we praise you with all your creatures

and the whole universe that comes forth from the work of your hands.

We acknowledge the privilege and responsibility

that you give us as stewards of your creation.

In our ignorance we have done damage to our common home,

and our brothers and sisters are suffering.

Through faithfully following your Son,

guide and direct us to prepare for a better future.

Teach us to contemplate you in the beauty of the universe,

for all things speak of you.

Give us the grace to recognise, respect and protect all you have created,

using wisely all that you have entrusted to us.

Holy Spirit,

who first hovered over the dawn of creation and drew order out of chaos,

help us to build your kingdom of justice, love, peace and beauty,

where the poor of the earth are crying out.

You, who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

Pope Francis, like St Francis, saw nature and all creatures as having dignity, sharing the same Creator-Father – each with its own unique worth. He called us back to appreciate the love God has for all creation, rather than focusing on the usefulness of nature to human beings.

St Francis wrote of Sister Water as “useful and humble, precious and pure”. How have we treated Sister Water? He also described Mother Earth as sustaining and governing us, producing fruit, flowers and herbs. This is her nature. Earth has evolved so that nothing is wasted: water, soil and light provide food for growth; insects, animals and people are sustained by the vegetation that results; and natural decomposers, having taken what they need, return their waste to the earth where it is recycled. Humans, however – especially in richer countries today – consume more than is needed, and much of our waste damages rather than nourishes the soil.

In Laudato Si’, paragraph 2, Pope Francis writes:

“This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her…. We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and receive life and refreshment from her waters.”

Many valuable efforts and initiatives are seeking to redress some of the harm we have caused. Pope Francis encourages us, even through small daily actions, to become more aware of what we can do. In paragraph 245 he writes:

“God… offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him!”

Each of us can pray, in a focused way, during the Season of Creation. Perhaps we can also discover new ways to act out of care and concern for our common home – within our local environment and our community.

Paula Pearce OFS

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