The CLC World ExCo and the CLC Ecology
Commission invite our Christian Life Community to join people of faith
worldwide to observe the Season of Creation, September 1st to October 4th. Pope Francis has established September 1st
as an annual celebration to be a “powerful moment of prayer, reflection,
conversion and the adoption of appropriate life styles. The
ecological crisis calls Christians to a profound spiritual conversion “whereby the
effects of [our] encounter with Jesus Christ becomes evident in the world
around [us].”
What
Last year, on the Feast of the
Transfiguration on 6 August 2015, Pope Francis, established the “World Day of
Prayer for the Care of Creation” on September 1st to be celebrated
annually in solidarity with other faith traditions as an opportunity for
profound spiritual and ecological conversion.
Drawing “from our rich spiritual heritage the reasons which feed our
passion for the care of creation,… we
believe in Jesus Christ who became man for us, and we believe that … the life
of the spirit is not dissociated from the body or from nature or from world
realities, but lived in and with them, in communion with all that surrounds
us.” (ibid., 216) This is an opportunity
for us to “renew our personal participation as custodians of creation, raising
to God our thanks for the marvelous works that He has entrusted to our care,
invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins
created against the world in which we live.”
This will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing
communion with people of other faith traditions. “We live in a time where all Christians are
faced with identical and important challenges, and we must give common replies
to these in order to appear more credible and effective.” Pope Francis expresses his hope that we can
celebrate this day in union with initiatives that the World Council of Churches
is promoting, including “Time for Creation” also known as “Season of Creation.”
When
The Season of Creation begins September 1st,
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to October 4th,
the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
Where
Observance of this Season of Creation can
take place all over the world! Members
may choose to join other people of faith in programs of prayer, reflection,
and/or action. Or, members may choose to
create their own programs! Below are
some suggestions, including initiatives from our Ecology Commission.
Ideas
for Observing
1.
Pray
a.
In Community: organize prayer services
with themes of Creation
b.
Individually: Commit to regular
prayer for creation and for ecological conversion for oneself, others, leaders
2.
Reflect
a.
In Community: Use CLC
Supplement 72: Care of Creation which contains a dozen meeting plans on the
topic of ecology. Use one or more of
these plans during this five-week period.
3.
Action
a.
Join parish ecological
initiatives or help form a “Creation Team” or “Green Team” in your own parish
to encourage sustainable energy consumption, inspire care for creation programs,
promote environmentally friendly life-styles, support those most impacted by
climate change.
b.
Join local initiatives such as
tree plantings, community gardens, ecological programs, etc.
c.
Monitor and simplify your own
lifestyle and consumption / energy-use practices.
4.
Advocacy
a.
Raise awareness for and/or join
local, national, and global campaigns for action on climate change.
b.
Contribute to disaster relief
and recovery programs.
c.
Write letters to elected
officials and editors of your local newspaper to voice your concern about
caring for ecological issues.
5.
Communication with World
Community
Share your
reflections and stories with our world community! You can use:
a.
Our CVX-CLC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CVX-CLC-6562037665/
Resources:
CLC Supplement # 72 Care of Creation
English: http://www.cvx-clc.net/filesProgressio/Progressio.Sup.72(en).pdf
French: http://www.cvx-clc.net/filesProgressio/Progressio.Sup.72(fr).pdf
Spanish: http://www.cvx-clc.net/l-sp/index.php
CVX-CLC website Ecology link: http://www.cvx-clc.net/
World Council of Churches
https://www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/climate-change/time-for-creation
Global Catholic Climate Movement
Eco-Parish
Guide http://catholicclimatemovement.global/eco-parish/
Season of
Creation https://seasonofcreation.info/
Youth program ideas http://catholicclimatemovement.global/wyd/
