The Earth is clearly urging a call to action. This period of enforced retreat gives many of us a fresh opportunity to experience how God comes to us. Easter is here! In fact, whenever we experience gratitude for Earth, air, water... for friends and family; for the plants and animals with whom we share this world.
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PRAYER SERVICE FOR THE EARTH
Today, as we reflect on the marvels and wonders of creation, let us renew our commitment as good stewards of the earth. We join with God’s Creation and with each other. Let us begin our prayer by signing ourselves in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ant. 1 Lord of all, to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise.
Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth
For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mindʼs delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.
For the heart and mindʼs delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.
For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.
Ant. 2 Glory to You, Creator and Sustainer. Glory to You for the awesome gift of life.
Psalm 65
It is good to give thanks,
for the boundless mercy
which renews us and makes us whole.
for the boundless mercy
which renews us and makes us whole.
Happy are those who know this
and open themselves to the Light.
and sing
and open themselves to the Light.
and sing
You make the sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.
You are the earthʼs fertility.
Your law governs her cycles of snow, run-off, flood, and rain.
You are the earthʼs fertility.
Your law governs her cycles of snow, run-off, flood, and rain.
You crown the year with abundance.
The wild lands are watered with dew.
The hills deck themselves with green.
The meadows adorn themselves with flocks,
The valleys gown themselves with grain.
They dance together.
They join in song.
They join in song.
Glory to You, Creator and Sustainer. Glory to You for the awesome gift of life.
Ant. 3 O most High, almighty, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing!
St. Francis's Canticle of the Sun
Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!
Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,
and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.
Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.
Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.
Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty,
and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of
many colors, and grass.
Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon
one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!
Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God
with great humility.
Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!
Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,
and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.
Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.
Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.
Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty,
and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of
many colors, and grass.
Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon
one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!
Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God
with great humility.
Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 11:24-12:1
For You [God] love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that You have made, for You would not have made anything if You had hated it. How would anything have endured if You had not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by You have been preserved? You spare all things, for they are Yours, O Lord, You Who love the living. For Your immortal Spirit is in all things. God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good.
Ant. Come, let us praise God for the gift of Creation.
Canticle (of Zechariah or of Mary)
Intercessions
Creator God, the parables through which Jesus taught are full of care for creation, whether it be the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, the farmer allowing the 'weeds' and the wheat to grow together until harvest time or the mustard seed growing into a plant that will shelter the birds of the air.
- May we follow him in having that same care for creation today. Lord hear us.
Creator God, you showed us how to live on this earth when you were present among us in the person of Jesus.
- May we live out the values he embodied, especially in his appreciation of the ordinary wonders of life: the lilies of the field, the sparrows that fall, the way the wind blows.
Creator God, the sun, the wind and the waves are your gifts for the flourishing of the whole community of life on earth.
- Help us to use them creatively to produce sustainable energy for all.
Creator God, you have generously blessed us with an abundance of gifts in this, your world.
- Help us to share in that generosity by ensuring that your gifts will be available for the poor and for future generations.
Closing Prayer: A prayer for our earth by Pope Francis
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace. Amen.
for justice, love and peace. Amen.
Praised be the Incarnate Word!
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