“The web of life: biodiversity as God’s blessing.”
From September 1st to October 4th, 2019, Christian Churches are called to participate in the “Season of Creation”, with the theme, “The web of life: biodiversity as God’s blessing.”
Since 2015, at the initiative of Pope Francis, the 1st of September is the “World day of prayer for the care of creation”. On October 4th we celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.
In September 2017, the term green Church was started in France with a big national inter-religious day.
In 2018, many committed parishes, labelled as green Churches, organized Days of the green Church for creation.
While the Amazon forest, “lungs of the planet”, is burning, the month of September will be a time for us to reflect, pray and act for the environment.
- Pope Francis invites us to be aware of global ecology, to pray communally with intensity, “We are called to actively commit ourselves, to pray as if everything depends on divine Providence, and to work as though everything depends on us.” Prayer should help us change our view of the world and therefore our way of entering into relationship with it; all our effort will be in vain, “if prayer is not at the center of our reflection and our celebration”.
- Since June 2019, it is young people who urge us on, they are the ones who must face the consequences of the present climatic and environmental crisis. Far from being “an optional attitude”, inter-generational solidarity is an extraordinary opportunity to get involved with the youth we encounter in taking concrete action for the future of our common home.
- Local authorities, civil society, religious communities are invited to promote a culture of integral ecology. New initiatives are springing up everywhere. There are so many opportunities for us to show that we are on the road to a better management of our common home. What will our contribution be?
To help us celebrate this month, interesting and practical information is available on the internet:
Temps de la creation 2019: https://eglise.catholique.fr/actualites/ete-2019-eglise-quelques-rendez-route-de-vos-vacances/483358-jeunes-catholiques-sengagent-lecologie/
« Église verte » : https://egliseverte.org/ http://eglisesvertes.ca/
In English:
Sr. Anne Marie Mabon
“Together for a better world”