Season of Creation
During the last eighteen months, many of us have been aghast at those who remain sceptical about the Covid-19 pandemic and see it as some sort of conspiracy.
Sadly, there are plenty of people who view the constant warnings about climate change in a similar way. However, the evidence is undisputable, and the latest report from the United Nations warns us that if we don’t take action now, the damage to the earth, our common home, will be irreversible. Just this month we have heard about terrible fires in Europe and the United States, as well as unprecedented flooding in various cities.
In 2015, Pope Francis issued an encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, about these issues and established a Season of Creation in the Church’s Year to help us to focus on the cry of the earth. The season begins this week with the ‘World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation’ on 1 September and runs until the feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October.
A PRAYER FOR OUR EARTH
All powerful God,
you are present in the universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with your peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
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 recognise 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.
A prayer for our earth was published in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’. It is for all who believe in God who is the all-powerful Creator.
