Reflection
September 1, Creation Day, also known as Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, opens the Season of Creation 2023. As we celebrate the start of the Season of Creation, Faith leaders from around the globe will lead this time of prayer and reflection on this year’s theme, “Let Justice and Peace Flow”. Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24) The Season of Creation starts today and ends on October 4, the feast of Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology. It is a time for humanity to renew its relationship with the Creator and with creation. We are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.
As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice. The futures of young people are threatened by the cascading impacts of the loss of biodiversity and a changing climate.The urgency grows and we must make visible peace with Earth and on Earth, at the same time that justice calls us to repentance and a change of attitude and actions. As we join the river of justice and peace with others hope is created instead of despair.
Prayer
Listen to the voice of creation.
Action
How seriously do you take the climate issues facing us? Do you avoid the topic? Do you find reflections on climate responsibility boring? Do you ever share them? Take time to inform yourself. Read Laudato Si if you haven’t. Get involved. Watch the 2023 Theme Launch on you tube here.
Suggested Reading
O God, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
Psalm 104:24-25
If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple. If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really do influence our behaviour. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature. Otherwise, the paradigm of consumerism will continue to advance, with the help of the media and the highly effective workings of the market.
Laudato Si
In the name of God stop destroying forests, wetlands and mountains, stop polluting rivers and seas, stop poisoning people and food.
Pope Francis to extractive corporations
To all of you who choose to look the other way because you are more frightened of the changes that can prevent catastrophic climate change than the climate change itself- Your silence is the worst of all.
Greta Thunberg
The earth is what we all have in common.
Wendell Berry
Preservation of our environment is not a liberal or conservative challenge, it’s common sense.
Ronald Reagan
We simply must do everything we can in our power to slow down global warming before it is too late… The science is clear. The global warming debate is over.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
We don’t have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns. For young people, climate change is bigger than election or re-election. It’s life or death.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
By polluting the oceans, not mitigating CO2 emissions and destroying our biodiversity, we are killing our planet. Let us face it, there is no planet B.
Emmanuel Macron
I hold a vision of this blue green planet, safe and in balance. At the end of the Fossil Fuel Era, we are emerging to a new reality. We are ready to make the next leap – as momentous as abolishing slavery or giving women the vote.
Elizabeth May
We are in danger of destroying ourselves by our greed and stupidity. We cannot remain looking inwards at ourselves on a small and increasingly polluted and overcrowded planet.
Stephen Hawking
One of the biggest obstacles to making a start on climate change is that it has become a cliche before it has even been understood
Tim Flannery
You cannot adapt to extinction
Vanessa Nakate
When enough people come together, then change will come and we can achieve almost anything. So instead of looking for hope — start creating it.
Greta Thunberg