Prayer for October 4th: Feast of St. Francis and closing of Season of Care for Creation

Begin  with a moment of silent recollection.

Reading from St. Francis’ Canticle:

Most high, all powerful, all-good Lord!
All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
All praise be Yours, my Lord, through all that you have made.

A Call to Prayer   

The earth is at the same time mother, She is mother of all that is natural, mother of all that is human. She is the mother of all, for contained in her are the seeds of all. The earth of humankind contains all moistness, all verdancy, all germinating power. It is in so many ways fruitful. All creation comes from it. Yet it forms not only the basic raw material for humankind, but also the substance of the incarnation of God’s son.          (Hildegard of Bingen)

Prayer of Praise

Left: “The Earth. . . is a sparkling blue and white jewel. . . laced with slowly swirling veils of white. . . like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery.” (Edgar Mitchell, US Astronaut)
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.” (Hildegard of Bingen, Mystic) 

Right: “O moving force of Wisdom, you encircle the wheel of the cosmos, you encompass all that is, all that has life, in one vast circle.” (Hildegard of Bingen)
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.”

Left: “. . . for in God we live/ and move/ and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) 
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.”

Right: “. . . stardust is not just fairy-tale magic; it is what we are really made of. . .” (Elisabet Sahtouris) 
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.” 

Left: “Great Spirit, . . . give me the strength to walk the soft earth, a relative to all that is! . . . all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike. . . This is my prayer; hear me!” (Black Elk) 
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.” 

Right: “. . . When you stand in the presence of the moon, you become a new creation. . . The elementary particles of your body have absorbed an influence and in that sense they–and you–are brand spanking new, a human being resonating everywhere with moonlight.” (Brian Swimme) 
All: “All creation is a song of praise to God.”

Reflect

Share a word, words, or phrase that caught your attention in the prayers above. Optional: share why.

Reading from Laudato Si’: 

“Purchasing is always a moral — and not simply economic — act.” (Benedict XVI) Today, in a word, “the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle.” (Id.) (Par. 206)

Suggestion:

Decide to take one action to care for creation – such as  the following:

For multiple reasons, increase                                                         For multiple reasons, decrease

 

 

 

 

For multiple reasons,

 

 

 

 

Closing Prayer:

Today we know of the energy that moves all things: the oneness of existence, the diversity and uniqueness of every moment of creation, every shape and form, the attraction, the allurement, the fascination that all things have for one another. Humbled by our knowledge, chastened by surprising revelations, with awe and reverence we live within the mystery of life. May St. Francis bless our efforts to appreciate and protect the gift of creation,  through Christ, Our Love. Amen

(For two-sided pdf copy, contact terrishcj@aol.com.)