Season of Creation
Introduction
The Season of Creation is celebrated from September 1 to October 4. It is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During this time, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home. In Laudato Si’ Pope Francis called for an integral approach to respect for the environment which involves four relationships: with God, with our brother and sisters of today and tomorrow, with all of nature and with ourselves. The following song is by Sharon Burch who is Navajo and German.
Song: We Are Here by Sharon Burch
Mother Earth says, "Now take good care of me. Please do not hurt me."
And Father Sky says, "Now take good care of me. Please do not hurt me."
And all living creatures say, "Now take good care of us. Please do not hurt us."
And we are here to be ourselves, To be with one another,
To be with our surroundings, To be, to be.
And we are here to take care of ourselves, To take care of one another,
To take care of our surroundings, Take care, to care.
And we are here to love ourselves, To love one another,
To love our surroundings, To love, to love, to love...
Nahasdzáán ání, nizhónígo shaa áhółyą́, Nizhónígo shaa áhółyą́.
Mother Earth says, "Now take good care of me. Please do not hurt me."
Reflection
The theme for the 2024 Season of Creation is "To Hope and Act with Creation". The theme is based on the idea that while people may not be treating the Earth as a gift from the Creator, but rather as a resource to be used, there is still hope for a better future.
In the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si, "Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their mental and social conditioning."
We are very well aware that the climate crisis looms large as we prepare to go to the polls and choose our leaders for the next 4 years. We pray that concern for the future health of our planet and of all of Earth’s creatures, especially those who are most vulnerable, is of major concern as folks cast their votes.
When we speak of the “environment,” what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. #1Laudato Si, 139
Neglecting to monitor the harm done to nature and the environmental impact of our decisions is only the most striking sign of a disregard for the message contained in the structures of nature itself. When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities—to offer just a few examples—it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected. Laudato Si’,#117
Song: We Are Here, Verse One
Silent Prayer
Intercessions taken from OLVM Constitutions Response: Hear Our Prayer
Guide us, loving God, to participate and take action according to our unique gifts and limitations. {Constitutions 4.1)
Guide us, Holy God, to live simply and justly, with reverence for creation. (Constitutions 11)
Guide us, God of Peace, to work with others to promote justice among all peoples and to eliminate whatever oppresses the human spirit. (Constitutions 11)
Guide us, all loving God, toward a global vision and a sensitivity to world-wide injustices in order to remain faithful to our corporate vision of discipleship in favor of the poor. (Constitutions 25)
Election Prayer | Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
God of peace, these times demand a change of heart: to be, think, and act differently. Pour out Spirit on your people as we prepare to vote in 2024 in unprecedented numbers across the globe. May we strive to make peace a reality by becoming agents of reconciliation, transforming and transcending polarization, misinformation, and division during this election year. Help us to recognize the reality of our interconnection and interdependence and to make decisions for the common good. Amen.
Silent Prayer Song: We Are Here
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