The 2019 Season of Creation has begun and Pope Francis’s statement for the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation calls for prayer, repentance, and conversion of life. It references the upcoming climate action summit at the U.N. and urges us to reflect on our lifestyle and say “no” to “the illusion of omnipotence,” eschewing greed and learning humility. The time for action is now.
“. . . The increase in intensity and frequency of extreme weather phenomena and the desertification of the soil are putting the most vulnerable among us to the test. Melting glaciers, the scarcity of water, the neglect of water basins and the considerable presence of plastic and microplastic in the oceans are just as worrying facts, which confirm the urgency of interventions that can no longer be postponed. We have created a climate emergency, which seriously threatens nature and life, including ours.
At the root, we have forgotten who we are: creatures in the image of God (see Gen 1:27), called to live the same common home as brothers and sisters. We were not created to be individuals who lord it over, we were thought and wanted at the center of a web of life made up of millions of species lovingly joined by our Creator. “
The full text can be found here.
Although there is never a time when we should not be mindful of the responsibility to care for creation, there is value in the focus that a targeted season brings.
During this time we will be celebrating the wonder of creation and praying for a change of heart towards the way we live in the world.
Our consumerist-based society is out of line with God’s creation and we need to be mindful of the fact that we are not tending the earth the way that we should.
The theme of this year’s Season of Creation is “The Web of Life” and we are urged to reflect on the network of biodiversity that is interwoven into the gift of God’s creation.
May our reflections help us to be mindful and claim God’s wonderful creation as a part of our common life and consciousness and treat it accordingly.