Prayer for the World September 23, 2026
Care of Creation
Introduction: Each year Christians worldwide unite in prayer and action to protect the environment during the Season of Creation, September 1, marked as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, until October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron Saint of ecology.
Song: Sacred Creation by Rufino Zaragoza, https://youtu.be/Kmjhvp68zIs?si=Rljg8lgc_qhKlK50
(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.
(First verse) 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)
Sacred the land,
sacred the water, sacred the sky, holy and true.
Sacred all life, sacred each other;
all reflect God who is good.
(Second verse) Brother Wind and Air that pervades, vary their moods to sustain all you made. Sister Water, useful and pure, lowly, freely sharing her life.
(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.
Excerpts for reflection from Pope Leo XIV for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation:
Our Lord Jesus Christ came so that we might have life and have it in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). This gift of life lies at the very heart of our mission as disciples and of our shared calling to build a civilization of love. As we observe this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, we are once again invited to contemplate the gift of life and to cherish the earth that sustains it, for they are tangible ways of offering praise to our Creator.
Today, we are witnessing many crises and much human suffering. At the same time, it seems that the disruption to the harmonious balance of creation is accelerating. These phenomena are not unrelated; they are a single plea for healing and peace arising from a wounded world. …
Dear brothers and sisters, the path before us is clear, though it is not easy. We are called to allow our hearts to be renewed, so that we might seek peace and care for creation. Scripture tells us to guard our hearts, for everything we do flows from them (cf. Prv 4:23).
If we take up this task with humility and faith, we will become collaborators in God’s work of renewal. We will move, slowly but surely, from desert to garden, from division to communion, and from violence to peace.
May the Lord grant us the courage to walk along this path, so that in our time, swords may indeed be beaten into plowshares, and the promise of the Gospel may take deeper root in our world, and the peace of Christ may reign over all of creation.
Silent Reflection
Intercessions
The Theme for this year’s Season of Creation is Living Water with reference to the following passage from Ezekiel 47:9 and 12 and water flowing from the Temple:
Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow…their fruit shall serve for food, and leaves for medicine.
We are reminded of our need of Water for all of Life, from the Waters of Baptism to the rain that waters our fields and provides water to drink. And so we pray:
Thank you, God, for the gift of water that sustains both our spiritual and physical life, we pray. (Pause for silent prayer.)
We ask you, God of Life, to send rain to those areas that are experiencing drought, we pray. (Pause for silent prayer.)
Help us, loving God, to create policies so that every person in our country has access to clean, unpolluted water, we pray. (Pause…)
Help us God to do our part in reducing the plastics that pollute our oceans and streams, we pray. (Pause…)
Silent Prayer
Song: Sacred Creation