Liturgy

An Invitation to Join the 2023 Season of Creation

The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to listen and respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray and protect our common home, the Oikos of God.

The Season “Celebration” begins 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.

Following the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we begin the Season of Creation “Preparation” to reach local leaders and call our communities to participate actively by raising awareness of the theme, and how to respond to the cry of creation where the Lord calls us in our diverse contexts.

The 2023 Theme and Symbol

Each year, the Season of Creation Ecumenical Steering Committee proposes a theme for the Season of Creation.

The theme for 2023 is “Let Justice and Peace Flow” and the symbol is “A Mighty River”.

Prophet Amos cries out “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24) and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.

Our prayers, sermons and liturgies must call for justice not only for humans but for all creation. Justice, allied with peace, calls us to repent of our ecological sins and to change our attitudes and actions. Righteousness demands that we live in peace, not conflict with our human neighbours, and building right relationships with all of creation. ‘Peace’ (shalom) involves not only the absence of conflict but positive, live-giving relationships with God, ourselves, our human neighbours, and all creation.

Those Indigenous communities that recognise the sacredness of natural elements and so live as an embodiment of an interconnected way of life, expressing a partnership between people and the life of the Earth, have much to teach the rest of the world.

We are invited to join the river of justice and peace on behalf of all Creation and to converge our individual identities, of name, family or faith community, in this greater movement for justice, just like tributaries come together to form a mighty river. As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.

Join the Season of Creation

We hope that this Season of Creation renews and unites us by the one Baptism and call to care for our common home. We invite you to schedule your own participation in the Season. As a first step, please visit SeasonOfCreation.org, or download some of the Season of Creation Resources that are included below.

The diocese recommends the Let Justice & Peace Flow 2023 Season of Creation Liturgical Guide, and reading Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation:

2023 CATHOLIC SEASON OF CREATION LITURGICAL GUIDE

Pope francis’ message for the world day of prayer for creation

Below you will find additional resources to help you / your community promote the 2023 Season of Creation:

season of creation CATHOLIC Celebration guide

liturgy notes for the season of creation 2023

7 DAYS OF CREATION: SCRIPTURAL PRAYERS AND REFLECTIONS (YEAR A)

season of creation ecumenical celebration guide

Below you will find some local examples of the 2023 Season of Creation in action:

MILTON PARISH SEASON OF CREATION ACTIVITIES

our catholic schools SEASON OF CREATION ACTIVITIES

Below you will find additional news articles about the 2023 Season of Creation:

POPE: Pray for COP28 and thanks to Laudato Si’ Action Platform

“Laudate Deum” – Pope Francis’ new Apostolic Exhortation

On October 4th, 2023, eight years after the publication of the encyclical Laudato Si’ on the care of the common home, Pope Francis published an apostolic exhortation as a complement and update.

READ THE COMPLETE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

 

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