WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION, SEPT 1, 2021

Each year, particularly since the publication of the Encyclical Laudato Si’
(LS, 24 May 2015), the first day of September is celebrated by the Christian family as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and the beginning of the Season of Creation, which concludes on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on the fourth of October. During this period, Christians worldwide renew their faith in the God of creation and join in prayer and work for the care of our common home.

The theme for this year’s celebration is Renewing the Oikos of God. The word Oikos comes from ancient Greek and can be attributed to two meanings: “house” or “family.”

In this way, both concepts are integrated in a very meaningful way for us since the word house refers to the physical inhabited place, our common home, the planet Earth, and the family are those who inhabit the home, all the species that inhabit our common home.

Our family is made up of the whole of humanity and each of the species that inhabit this planet forms our home, our common home, a home for all.

Our home is in danger, the climate crisis causes the loss of habitats and ecosystems that are home to millions of species, this also includes us, humans, our home is endangered by climate disasters and conflicts, so it needs to be renewed.

Our baptismal call urges us to renew the whole Earth, so that life can flourish. Source: SeasonofCreation.org

WHAT CAN YOU DO THIS SEASON?

Last year, the Ignatian Solidarity Network created a Season of Creation challenge, encouraging people to start simple with one new daily habit for a healthy planet.

Step one: Choose ONE daily action to repeat each day throughout the 34 days that will renew your relationship with creation or that will allow you to explore a radical new way of living with creation.

Step two: Take the pledge to commit to ONE action repeated daily throughout the 34 days of the Season of Creation to build a new environmental habit you’ve been meaning to get around to but haven’t made time for. Need ideas? The Ignatian Solidarity Network has 100s.

Click here for more, but see some ideas below.

  • Walk in a park once a week.
  • Take shorter showers. (time yourself!)
  • Don’t buy anything new for a month.
  • Avoid sodas, to-go coffees, bottled water and snacks that produce waste.
  • Pray that those who are most vulnerable find sustainability through the earth.
  • Take items out of the dryer early and hang some directly from the washer. Eat meat only once a day. Abstain from meat one or more days a week.
  • Eat everything on your plate.
  • Compost table scraps and vegetable cuttings
  • Turn the water off when you brush your teeth.
  • Turn off lights each time you leave a room.
  • Take an extra-long walk outside.
  • Pick up litter you see in public places.
  • Reread Laudato Si’
  • Pray the Rosary outside.
  • Weed the flower beds.
  • Spread the word about environmental webinars and lectures.
  • Avoid single-use plastics for a whole day.
  • Learn about environmental racism
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