‘People seek God outside and above creation, in abstraction and purity and complexity. But the creation story of Genesis, the Incarnation in Luke and Matthew, and the Cross in all the Gospels tells us that the reverse is true……. God is close and concrete. God creates this world as good and beautiful, wanting all his creatures to thrive. And the place we find God is right here, down here with his creatures, in all things.’ (First Belong to God. On Retreat with Pope Francis. Austen Ivereigh.)
The Season of Creation
The Season of Creation is a special time for all Christians to pray and work together to care for this place we find God.
It begins on Sunday September 1st with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
The day is inspired by Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls on ”every person living on this planet” to care for our shared Earth.
In his message for the World Day of Prayer this year, he reminds us that the Holy Spirit “keeps the believing community alert and calls it to conversion in lifestyles, to resist human degradation of the environment.”
See https://cafod.org.uk/news/uk-news/celebrate-world-day-of-prayer
This webpage leads on to a wealth of prayer resources and intercessions for individual, group and parish use throughout the Season up to the Feast of St. Francis on October 4th.
‘Pioneering parishes’ is an online event on Wednesday 4 September 2024 hosted by CAFOD, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and St Mary’s University.
How local Church communities can become Guardians of Creation.
https://cafod.org.uk/news/events/pioneering-parishes
Live Simply parish award Mass:
This year St. Vincent’s Crookes, Sheffield, followed St. Joseph’s Dinnington to be the second parish in Hallam Diocese to earn the Cafod Live Simply Award.
The award will be presented by Bishop Ralph at Sunday morning Mass on 29th September. It feels fitting that this will happen as part of the Season of Creation; anyone nearby is most welcome to come to the celebration!
Day of action Saturday September 21st:
Faith leaders mark Season of Creation with a call on followers to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal
During the season all people of faith are encouraged to lend their name and prayers to a global campaign to end the proliferation of fossil fuel production.
The webpage below includes information directed to Catholics in the light of Laudato Si and Laudate Deum and the current scientific consensus on climate change.
https://fossilfueltreaty.org/faith-letter#faith-letter
Could we publicise this campaign among our friends and parish communities?
Fairtrade fortnight
Monday 9th September- Sunday 22nd September. Celebrating 30 years of the fairtrade mark.
– Social and climate justice principles integrated –
https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight/
see especially: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/fairtrade-farmers-tackling-the-climate-crisis/ and: https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/media-centre/blog/30-ways-to-celebrate-30-years-of-fairtrade/
And note that some traidcraft products are available again, recommended for all church properties!
https://www.traidcraft.org/tea
https://store-transform-trade.org/products/traidcraft-loo-roll
