The Season of Creation spans five weeks between the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (September 1) and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4). This “time for creation” offers, in the words of Pope Francis, “individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” Below are some ways to live out these three dimensions of Pope Francis’ call.
1. Be Stewards of Creation: As individuals we cannot fall victim to the “throwaway culture” that Pope Francis speaks about in Laudato Si. In our lives we can be conscious of finding ways to either reuse or donate items. Let us find purpose for everything we have.
2. Thank God for His Wonderful Handiwork: Each day we can take time to realize that everything is a gift. A simple and easy way to manifest this in our daily life is to pray in thanksgiving for food before eating.
3. Implore God’s Help and Ask His Pardon: We can all spend time in reflecting upon how we might have misused the gift of creation and ask God for His pardon.
