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September 1 - October 4, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Welcome again to the Season of Creation! Though not among the Church’s liturgical seasons, it is a special time in the Church. The Season begins on Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, which is an ecumenical gesture to thank God for all he has entrusted to our care. This year’s theme is: Hope and Action with Creation. The season concludes on Oct. 4.
In his message to the world for this Season of Creation, Pope Francis notes that the theme is drawn from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:19-25), where the Apostle explains what it means for us to live according to the Spirit and focuses on the sure hope of salvation that is born of faith, namely, newness of life in Christ. That Spirit enables believers to be creative and pro-active in charity, and to appreciate that the first fruit of the Spirit is love, love of God, neighbor and all of the created world. Read more at the Catholic Messenger ...
Season of Creation September 1 – October 4: Please visit the ecumenical Season of Creation website for resources and information of how you and your community can participate in the Season of Creation.
The Season of Creation is an annual period of praise, prayer and action that is celebrated world-wide by Christians of many denominations to celebrate the wonder of how the world was made and to reclaim the theology of why it was made. The Season begins each year on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer and extends through October 4, the Feast of St. Francis. This year’s theme is To hope and act with Creation.
In “Laudato Si” the Holy Father has said, “If we learn how to listen, we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance. On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home”.
“Si aprendemos a escucharla, notamos una especie de disonancia en la voz de la creación. Por un lado, es un dulce canto que alaba a nuestro amado Creador; por otro, es un amargo grito que se queja de nuestro maltrato humano”. Papa Francisco
In listening to the Voices of Creation, The Holy Father asks us to really see our environment, the disappearance of not only glaciers, but of many species of plants and animals, and to notice how some once fertile lands have become drought stricken to the point they can no longer support the people living there and who are now in refugee camps in many parts of the world, while people in other lands are swept away by torrential rain and flooding. He walks us past mountains of refuse, the result of our “throw way culture” and our linear economy of extraction for manufacturing of items that are briefly used and then discarded. He asks us to notice the people scavenging through the mountains of trach hoping to find items usable enough to sell or recycle. He reminds us that too often the poor, the less abled, or elderly are also what is “thrown away”.
Below are some resources for that praise, Prayer and Action:
September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation: Celebrate this day on Sept. 1 by thanking God for his creation and praying that we recognize the need to care for our common home.
USCCB Season of Creation flyer that speaks to the “throw-away culture” that Pope Francis decries in “Laudato Si” and provides suggested actions: WDPCC-Bulletin-Insert.pdf (usccb.org)
A Laudato Si Roundtable discussion with Archbishop Paul Coakley, Bishop Robert Barron, Bishop Robert McElroy and home discussion guides as well as prayers. Disfrute de esta conversación entre los obispos Jorge Rodríguez-Novelo, Oscar Cantú, Daniel Flores y Joseph Tyson, quienes reflexionan sobre el 5º aniversario de la encíclica Laudato Si. Ambos videos están en el mismo lugar. Environmental Justice - Justice Peace and Human Development | USCCB
Catholic Earthcare of Australia’s video introduction to “Laudato Si”: https://youtu.be/IcP5E2trsX
The Diocesan Liturgy Office resources for Season of Creation - Diocese of Davenport - Davenport, IA (davenportdiocese.org)
A video from Catholic Relief Services, an element of their series on Catholic Social Teaching 101, Care of God’s Creation. https://youtu.be/wSnXuCxiHXE
A video for the Season of Creation from Vatican https://youtu.be/qDqGkSb-4Rc
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) in the UK: Joyful Mysteries for Care of Creation.pdf (cafod.org.uk)
Read a book from a library (save money and trees) about some aspect of care for creation. Some suggestions:
Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth, by Ilia Delio, O.S.F., Keith Douglass Warner, O.F.M., and Pamela Wood. Saint Anthony Messenger Press, 2009.
The Earth Cries Out: How Faith Communities Meet the Challenges of Sustainability, by Gary Gardner. Describes best practices of faith communities responding to the impending climate and sustainability emergency, and presents the next steps for people of belief in the years following Laudato Si'. This book is used in the JustFaith program, Faith and Poverty: A Global response.
How Much Is Enough?: Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture, by Arthur Simon. written by Rev. Arthur Simon, Founder of Bread for the World and prior Pacem in Terris Award winner, this book explores the title question in terms of personal and public lifestyles.
The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists by Michael Brower, PhD and Warren Leon, PhD. Three Rivers Press, 1999.
The Lorax, by Dr. Suess. Written in 1971, the environmental lessons in The Lorax still rings true today. The book discusses consumerism, deforestation, and even pollution.
The Water Princess, by Susan Verde. Based on the life of African-born model Georgie Badiel, who grew up in Burkina Faso, the book is about a little girl imagining she was a princess who could bring water to her village.
Little Pirate: Why Do We Recycle? Science Made Simple!, by Ikids. Something is littering the ocean and Little Pirate investigates. An interactive book.
Parish – Plan a mass for the celebration of the Feast of St Francis
Parish - Plan a Blessing of Animals
Parish – Use videos if Season of Creation and “Laudato Si” in Bible study, and faith formation discussions.
Family - Take a family walk in a state or local park and make lists or take photos of the plants and animals you see. When your return home say prayers of thanks to God for what you have seen
Family - Plan an annual family season of creation event with your own favorite prayers of thanks, planting a tree or bush, and attending events in your local area.
Family – View videos about the Season of Creation and “Laudato Si” as a family and discuss their message.
Individual and Family -Learn about our care for creation role as Catholics and write a letter to the editor or post something about our roles on social media.
Resources provided by way of CRS (Catholic Relief Services)
Sunday, September 1st - World Day of Prayer for Creation
– Marks the beginning of the Season of Creation.
September 1 - October 4
Season of Creation Events at St. Thomas More Parish
(Click here for complete list of events)
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Virtual Ecological Citizenship program
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Monday, Sept. 23 - Friday Sept. 27.
Sustainability Week at St. Ambrose University, Aimed to provide campus community with opportunities to learn how to positively impact environment and connect with community leaders. Workshops, Common Ground film screening, and Sustainability Fest. Flyer.
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