World day of prayer for care of creation

I can still recall what feels like a few months ago - yet it was months ago! - that I came home to find Pope Francis Ladudato Si sitting on my desk awaiting for me to peel back the pages to release its wisdom. 

What an Encyclical!!! I have to fully admit to you, that I have not read it all yet. Its the type of document that you can read sections and bath in it letting it seep into you. Its challenging at times, and yet often Frances is just pointing out fact. 

Today I join in the response of Pope Francis call for a day of prayer for Creation. It does fall on the first of the month, one the actual day we had prayer, yet today we had a prayer ceremony. Together with a few members of our parish, Anne, Brigid that form the JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) team, we ran an Ecological Spirituality prayer morning. 

We gathered in prayer to form outreach to rise awareness to not only our parishioners yet to the wider community. 

Gathering together we settled ourselves into thanksgiving for the glorious gift of creation, and asked for the Lords help to care for our world. 

The morning was divided into three sections - 

•  Our need for Creation Spirituality, where Sr Anne introduced and guided us through reflecting on the ethical, religious and theological issues involved in the way we treat the Earth. This left me with the sense of deep sadness at the reality that we, as society, have become so out of touch with our mother, the Earth and all her abundant life systems. Deep sadness that her full beauty is not treasured. 

•   Relationships and the Creator Spirit, where Christine challenged us to reflect on our thoughts of the three types of relationships (kingship, stewardship and kinship) we have with the Earth. For me Pope Francis quotes screamed passionist with the message that we are created from dust, from the Earth and we are one with. There is no us and it, rather so intertwined that it is impossible to separate the two. 

“A deep sense of communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings.” LS91

“Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God” LD119

• Conversion, contemplation and prophecy was the section that I lead, interconnecting everything together in away, offering some hope. Mother Earth offering us a rich invitation to contemplation and prophecy.  (note - prophecy here Im referring to a way of speaking and acting in the face of powerful oppressive interest that leads to conversion and renewal) The question that was left with us was one of asking if you will follow the call of the creator spirit and respond to the cry of the Earth? 

For each of the three sections, Sr Anne compiled some quotes from Laudato Si’ with a couple of questions, that as individuals took time in the silent harmony of nature to ponder and reflect on. Sr Brigid lead us through a prayer at the end, that was so rich and nourishing. There was references to the climate effects in the pacific countries, with short snippets, along with an act of commitment of taking a bookmark with a small mustard seed as an invitation to make a step towards our vision of creating a heavenly place to call home. 

The energy of the day was so heart touching, with a deep awareness among all those present that we are to be accountable for our actions, we are too break away from the constraints of consumerism, from limiting word choice and actions, encouraging us to develop pollution controls and evolution of industries… there is so much to be done, however just a small step to be taken each day. We must never forget everything is inter winded and in relationship.