SEASON OF CREATION CELEBRATION GUIDE 2022
By Kositatino Tikomaibolatagane- Ecological Desk Coordinator Caritas Fiji
History of the Season of Creation
In 1989 Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitros I proclaimed September 1 as the Orthodox Day of Prayer for Creation.
Subsequently, the World Council of Churches (WCC) extended the celebration until October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.
In turn, in 2015 Pope Francis made the Season of Creation official for the Roman Catholic Church.
In this regard, Pope Francis expressed in 2015:
“The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will offer 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. The celebration of this Day, on the same date as the Orthodox Church, will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our Orthodox brothers and sisters.”
Why is it important?
Taking action during the Season of Creation is living out our Catholic faith.
The Church, following the teachings of Jesus, from the Social Doctrine, throughout time has exhorted believers to work for the common good, which requires dignifying life in all its forms, caring for the common home, committing to the construction of more just, supportive, fraternal and peaceful societies, among other fundamental aspects to achieve what Pope Francis calls integral ecology in Laudato Si.
Often, when we speak of creation, it is related to nature, animals, landscapes, the sun, the moon, but rarely do we become aware that the human being is the culmination of the Father’s creative work, “God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good.” (Gen 1:31), the Sacred Scripture states, implying that God, after the creation of man and woman, is pleased to see all their work.
In this regard, it is important to mention that, in the Bible, there are several references to the creative work of the Father, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them (Rom 4:24) and, moreover, lovingly arranges everything to sustain and promote harmony: “Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Mt 6:26).
In other words, he is not only a creator God, but a loving Father who tenderly cares for the work of his hands and has a vision of fraternity for all humanity.
Accordingly, the Season of Creation is a celebration that allows all people to recognise ourselves as “the work of the Lord’s creative act,” to contemplate nature and all that dwells in it, and to care for our Common Home.
It is necessary for all believers to join in the celebration of the Season of Creation. Since “what was good in the eyes of God has become an exploitable thing in the hands of man”, and it is urgent that as Church we implement concrete actions towards care and preservation.
As Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si’, “‘Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation’. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.” (LS 14).
The theme for this year’s Season of Creation is “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”
The intention is to raise awareness of the need to listen to the voice of all creation…the voices of those who suffer the impacts of climate change, the voices of those who hold generational wisdom about how to live gratefully within the limits of the land and the voices of a diminishing diversity of more-than human species.
We would urge all parishes to please implement your own programs at parish level in accordance with the Season of Creation Guide of 2022.
Click on the link below to access the Season of Creation Guide 2022 👇👇👇👇👇 SOC-2022-Celebration-Guide-Final-English
