Focus On.... the Season of Creation
Season of Creation
This month we celebrate the Season of Creation, which runs from 1st September (World Day of Prayer for Creation) to 4th October (the Feast of St Francis of Assisi).
It is a time when Christians across the world pray for the whole of creation, and especially for the protection of this fragile and beautiful planet.
Reverence and love for God’s gift of creation are at the heart of Ignatian spirituality, which encourages us to seek God in all things.
As St Ignatius wrote:
“All the things in this world are created because of God’s love, and they become a context of gifts, presented to us so that we can know God more easily and make a return of love more readily.”
In this Season of Creation we are reminded of Pope Francis' encyclical on caring for our common home, planet earth - Laudato Si'
The letter is addressed to "every person living on this planet" and calls for a global dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet through our daily actions and decisions.
​​
The seven goals of Laudato Si are:
-
the Cry of Earth,
-
the Cry of the Poor,
-
Ecological Economics,
-
Simple Lifestyles,
-
Ecological Education,
-
Ecological Spirituality, and
-
Community Involvement and Participation.
​
A Reflection for the Season of Creation
God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant-yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.
(Genesis 1: 29-31)
Take a moment to ponder ....
How do you respond to all that the Lord has given us? Are you overwhelmed, grateful, indifferent ...?
All around us are examples of the interdependence of humanity, plants and animals. In what way does this interdependence affect the way you live?
Might you sometimes be more attentive towards your own surroundings?
Turning to the Lord, and conscious that he is always with us, speak to him as one friend to another.
“Thank you for the world you have made for us, Lord. Indeed, it is very good!”