World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Aug 25, 2016

Last year, Pope Francis declared September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

“The annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation offers, to individual believers and to the community, a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”

Coinciding with the celebration of the Orthodox Church, Pope Francis hopes that:

“The celebration of the Day, on the same date as the Orthodox Church, will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our orthodox brothers. We live in a time when all Christians are faced with identical and important challenges and we must give common replies to these in order to appear more credible and effective. Therefore it is my hope that this Day can involve, in some way, other Churches and ecclesial Communities, and be celebrated in union with the initiatives that the World Council of Churches is promoting on this issue.”

Here are some suggestions on how we can celebrate it:

JOIN THE “WORLD DAY OF PRAYER” FACEBOOK EVENT
Join Pope Francis in this special day and invite friends and family. (Facebook: World Day of Prayer for Creation)

FOR INDIVIDUALS:
-- Begin your day by praying with one of the prayers that Pope Francis composed for his Laudato Si’ encyclical: A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation (see below) or A Prayer for our Earth.

-- Continue to pray throughout the day:

-- Guided Rosary on Caring for Creation

-- the Canticle of Creatures of St Francis

-- any other creation care prayer
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/ prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayers-to-carefor- creation.cfm

--Attend a special service in your parish and/or ask the parish to celebrate the World Day of Prayer.

FOR PARISHES, DIOCESES & COMMUNITIES:

-- Host an Eucharistic Adoration service

-- Incorporate creation prayers during your daily Mass: you could simply pray the Christian Prayer in Union with Creation (see below) and include special Prayers of the Faithful.

--Host an ecumenical event, however big or small: Pope Francis invited ecumenical collaboration on September 1 so that “this World Day can become the sign of a path along which all believers in Christ walk together.”

FOR EVERYONE:
Complement your prayers with climate action: sign the Catholic Climate Petition at http://catholicclimatemovement.global/petition/

Pope Francis is calling for Action and Catholics are responding

Pope Francis released the Laudato Si’ encyclical last year, which issued a powerful message on our moral responsibility to take action for creation. Here are a few ways for you to take action and respond to the Pope’s call.

-- Promote the Laudato Si’ encyclical
Organize a Laudato Si’ talk or study group in your parish, school or community, to reflect on its urgent message and discern on how to take action together.

-- Get your parish to go green
The Eco-Parish Guide is a free and comprehensive resource for parishes to form green teams, reduce parish emissions and engage parishioners with Laudato Si’. Here is the link: http://catholicclimatemovement.global/ eco-parish/

-- Live simply and reduce your carbon footprint
Our unsustainable lifestyles are the main drivers of the ecological crisis.

-- Divest your community
Urge your community to join the global divest-reinvest movement to move their money out of fossil fuel companies and reinvest in clean energy solutions.

A Christian Prayer in Union with Creation

By Pope Francis
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you!

Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature
in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!

Holy Spirit, by your light
you guide this world towards the Father’s love
and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts
and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you!

Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.

God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!

Amen.