Season of Creation (Week 1 Reflection)

It is the Season of Creation once again where people all over the world are intentionally praying, pondering, having a conversation, and taking action together.  It started with ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989 when the church leader designates September 1 as the start of the World Day of Prayer and ends on October 4 which is the Feast of Saint Francis. We invite you can join us in praying for the Creation and collaborate with each other for anything that shows how you are good stewards of God's kingdom.  Reflecting the selected articles from Laudato Si, reflect on the ways that you are called to advocate and practice for the healing of our planet.

Selection from Catholic Climate Covenant with our summarized, reflection questions for your contemplation. 

Sept 1: We pray…

• For this World Day of Prayer for Creation and the start to the global ecumenical Season of Creation: may we be doers, and not hearers only, of honoring and respecting God’s first act: Creation.

• That we are to daily honor God, our neighbors, and all of creation, as "wise and intelligent people" who live on God’s creation.

This Week's Laudato Si

Article 68 (highlight):  The creation operates in balance.  There is production and consumption. This is part of the laws of nature.  It operates in a healthy way only if we give it a space to grow, ripen, rot or decompose and be used again in ecosystem.  Just as God rested on the seventh day when God created the universe/and cosmos, every parts of creation need rest for a reason.

Reflect the relationship that you have with others in creation.  What kind of food do you use for your daily food?  How is it package?  Where does it come from?  Did it come from traditional or mass farming?  Did the producer use organic fertilizers as opposed to comercialized fertilizers that can yours?  The Bible is teaching us that anthropocentrism is about all man's way at all cost but as you can see, God is please with what God created everything and human beings are stewards of all of these.

Genesis 29-30  And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which 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.” 

Article 208 (highlight): We can show concern for things that are beyond us.  There is an attitude of indifference where we do not concern ourselves with what is happening to our brothers and sisters including the other parts of nature surrounding us. 

Reflect on how you are currently consuming reasonably according to your needs.  How to mitigate the disregard for other creatures?  How are you going to be more mindful to put limit on how you use the natural reasources?

Article 231 (highlight): Social love and culture of care will connect our lives more socially, politically, economically and culturally so that our spirituality is more integrated.  Our relation can mature towards a responsible and systemic charity for regeneration and renewal of our commitment to care for our common good where we have concrete actions on our social responsiblity.

Reflect on ways that that you can incorporate regeneration part of the culture, to have a renewal and systemic change to heal the creation.  What are the laws that can be passed to stop single use plastics on food?  What are the laws that can be used for plastic utensils usage to be stopped so that people would use real utensils, real plates or sustainable?  How is the farming in your area?  Are the fertilizers destroying the quality of soil after a harvest?  

Are there organic alternatives to what you are using right now?

Mark 7: [Jesus responded to the Pharisees and scribes], "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me … teaching as doctrine"

Learn more here:

• Laudato Si: Laudato si' (24 May 2015) | Francis (vatican.va)
• Season of Creation 
• Catholic Climate Movement Liturgy Guide for Season of Creation: Homily Helps September 2024 (Cycle B) | Catholic Climate Covenant
  
• Individual and Systemic Actions
• Webinar on Connecting Faith and Action
• The Pathway to Ecological Citizenship and Spirituality by Catholic Climate Covenant