Prayer for the World October 1, 2025

Praise of God Through Creation

Introduction

We are nearing the end of this year’s Season of Creation which culminates on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis.    In Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’, we read how St. Francis would burst into song whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest animals, drawing all other creatures into his praise of God. (Laudato Si’, #11)

Song: Sacred Creation by Rufino Zaragoza

 https://youtu.be/Kmjhvp68zIs?si=GRrYAbnWbLiHcHH5 

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Refrain: Sacred the land, sacred the water,sacred the sky, holy and true.Sacred all life, sacred each other;all reflect God who is good.                                        

All praise be yours through Brother Sun bearing a likeness of you, Most High One.  Sister Moon and Stars who are precious, splendid, ride your glorious sky.

Refrain:

Brother Wind and Air that pervades, vary their moods to sustain all you’ve made.  Sister Water, useful and pure, lowly, freely sharing her life.

Refrain:

Reading

Beginning from the very first verses of the Bible, the Pope reflected on "the Spirit hovering over the waters," transforming primordial chaos into "something beautiful and ordered," the "cosmos." Later books of the Bible proclaim even more clearly the creative work of the Holy Spirit, especially in the New Testament, which shows the "intervention of the Holy Spirit in the new creation." However, the Pope said, the relationship between the Spirit and creation has suffered due to the "sin and corruption of humanity that has dragged it into its alienation from God." "This remains as true today" as it was when Saint Paul first described it in his letters. The solution to this alienation, Pope Francis said, can be found in Saint Francis of Assisi, who shows us "the way of contemplation and praise." "Our vocation in the world," the Pope said, citing St Paul, "is to be 'praise of His glory'... putting the joy of contemplating ahead of the joy of possessing." 'I will put My Spirit within you' Pope Francis emphasized that the Spirit Who transformed chaos into cosmos is at work to bring about this transformation in every

person." He emphasized that the external chaos we see in the world, whether social or political, can only be healed if we begin to heal the internal chaos within our hearts. "May this reflection," the Pope concluded, "arouse in us the desire to experience the Creator Spirit."

May 29, 2024 General Audience Pope Francis

Quiet Reflection

Leader: Creator God, in this Season of Creation, we lift our prayers like seeds into the wind. Response (All): Let peace and hope take root.

1. For frontline communities facing environmental injustice, especially children and elders exposed to toxins, heat, and flood— Response: Let peace and hope take root.

2. For farmers, fishers, and food growers, who struggle with the impact of drought, pollution, and disrupted seasons— Response: Let peace and hope take root.

3. For leaders and lawmakers, that they may listen to creation and act with courage to protect what sustains us— Response: Let peace and hope take root.

4. For the Church, that she may be a beacon of ecological conversion and stand with the Earth and the poor— Response: Let peace and hope take root.

5. For all of us, that we may become sowers of peace, defenders of creation, and stewards of the sacred Earth— Response: Let peace and hope take root.

Holy Spirit, move in us like wind through the trees. Let our prayers become action. Let our care become courage. Let our lives become Laudato Si’. Amen.

Intercessory Prayer — Seeds of Peace and Hope by Daniella Flanagan, CHW Executive Director and Founder New Liberty Road Community Development Corporation

Quiet Reflection

Song:  Sacred the Land