Knowledge
On September 1st, we begin the Season of Creation. This annual celebration – from September 1st through the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th – is a global ecumenical effort to “renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.” You can read more about the history and purpose of the Season of Creation on their website's About Page.
The theme this year is To Hope and Act with Creation. Each year, the Season of Creation asks us to pause and find anew our purpose for caring for creation. Pope Francis discusses this when he discusses developing an eco-spirituality.
We center prayer in our lives, and this allows us to always see God's goodness. I will center Prayer in my YLBGs for the Season of Creation. I offer the prayer, "Creator God, You are There," as we enter this season. Words and music by Margaret Rizza.
Prayer
In the darkness of the still night
in the dawning of the daylight,
in the mystery of creation,
Creator God, you are there.
In the breath of every being,
in the birthing and the growing,
in the earth and all its fullness,
Creator God, you are there.
In the homeless and the hungry,
in the broken and the lonely,
in the grieving of your people,
Creator God, you are there.
in the tears and in the heartache,
in the Love through which we serve you,
in the anguish of the dying,
Creator God, you are there.
In our hearts and in our thinking,
in the longing and the dreaming,
in the yearning of our heartbeat,
Creator God, you are there.
In the love for one another,
in the sharing of our being
in receiving and forgiving,
Creator God, you are there.
In our joys, our hopes, our healing,
in awakening to revealing,
in your call and our responding,
Creator God, you are there.
In our prayer and in our service,
in our praise and in our worship,
in your love that is eternal,
Creator God, you are there.
Words and music by Margaret Rizza
Action
There is a beautiful coral performance of this song on YouTube. I hope you will find some time during this Season of Creation to focus on how nature can renew not only our belief in the possibility, but also our resolve, that we will make the changes we need to make to save our earth. These changes are both personal and on a societal level. Our personal choices, and encouraging others to join you, will start our society’s change. But we also must be brave and relentless in our advocacy to change the processes that are contributing the most to our problems. We hear a lot of bad news when it comes to climate change. But it’s not a lost cause yet! We go forward in faith and confidence in our Good God.
”Courage! The more crosses you have, the more your soul will grow. Let the good God act.” - St. Julie Billiart