Caretakers of God’s Creation

We share a common role as caretakers of God’s creation. Our well-being is interwoven with the well-being of all of creation. So we rejoice in this opportunity to care for our common home and for the sisters and brothers who share it with us.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios proclaimed September 1 as Creation Day for the Orthodox in 1989, followed by other Christian European Churches in 2001, and by Pope Francis in 2015. In 2018, for the first time, the prayer service for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation that took place in Assisi was ecumenical in nature.

The ecumenical Season of Creation lasts from 1 September (Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) until 4 October (Feast day of St. Francis). This is an invitation to engage in a month of prayer, symbolic acts, and campaigns to give thanks for creation and renew our human vocation to care for it.

The 2020 theme, “Jubilee for the Earth”, invites us to consider the integral relationship between rest for the earth and ecological, economic, social and political ways of living. This particular year, the need for just and sustainable systems has been revealed by the far-reaching effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

See https://seasonofcreation.org/ for Calendar of Events some of which you may need to register for.

“During the Season of Creation, we unite as one family in Christ, celebrating the bonds we share with each other and with “every living creature on Earth.” (Genesis 9:10) The Christian family celebrates the season by spending time in prayer, considering ways to inhabit our common home sustainably, and lifting our voices in the public sphere.

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As we live into a post-COVID-19 world, can we imagine new just and sustainable ways of living that give the Earth the rest it requires, that satisfy everyone with enough and that restore habitats and renew biological diversity? May Holy Wisdom inspire our imagination”.

Jubilee for the Earth

Climate change is a result of the intersection of greed, inequality and destruction of God’s Earth. The theme of Jubilee is chosen for this year’s Season of Creation as it reflects those three interlocking themes.

• Jubilee as a time to renounce over consumption and economic systems based on constant economic growth at the cost of the Earth and those who are poor.
• Jubilee as a time when those who have consumed the most must make restitution to those who have suffered the most.
• Jubilee as a time of rest for the land from constant exploitation, to restore ecosystems and people.

The concept of Jubilee is rooted in the holy wisdom that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities.

Such moments highlight the need for a prophetic voice on climate injustice and actions for the restoration of the Earth.

The theme of this Jubilee also affirms the need for equality, justice and sustainability, and a transition to sustainable economies. It honours the Jubilee 2000 Campaign, which successfully called for an amnesty on debt for global South countries and redistribution of wealth. And 2020 marks 50 years since the first Earth Day when the environmental movement was born.

“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family”. (Leviticus 25:10, NRSV)

Prophetic call of hope

As people of faith we are called to sound a voice of hope. We lament, for everywhere we hear the groaning of creation. So we act as carriers of creation, and we sound the horn of hope, for the Earth and all that live in it who belong to the Lord. We know that God has promised the renewal of this Earth.

“During this Season of Creation,
we ask you to grant us courage to observe a Sabbath for our planet.
Strengthen us with the faith to trust in your providence.
Inspire us with the creativity to share what we have been given.
Teach us to be satisfied with enough.
And as we proclaim a Jubilee for the Earth,
send Your Holy Spirit to renew the face of creation.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation,

Jesus Christ.

Amen

Join us on social media

Join us in prayer and reflection and share exciting news about your celebration on social media. A supportive global community is forming on Facebook and Twitter.  Join the global community by using the #SeasonOfCreation hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Hashtag posts will appear on the Season of Creation website. We invite you to like or follow the Season of Creation Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as join the Season of Creation public group  to get inspiring updates and join the conversation

Note:  Much of the text for the above News feed can be found in the Resource Booklet Jubilee for the Earth

See complete list of resources Season of Creation – Resources

See also  Sowing Seeds of Hope for the Planet

See Irish Catholic Bishops Conference – Care of Creation 2020

See Laudato Si

See A sustainable living presence