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Extinction Grieving Prayer

Jul12

Those who are “joined … so closely to the world around us that we can feel the … extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement” (Pope Francis) often feel, and sometimes read about, the need for a prayer or ritual to help us grieve. I felt that need especially after researching and writing my last two blogs.

My Lent 2015 Creation Covenant resource concludes its five weeks with a grieving prayer, but that does not fill an immediate need. I have found no prayer or ritual on the internet for this purpose and can find no national or international day of mourning for extinct species or ruined ecosystems.  (Please let me know if you find one or both.)

I wrote what follows for myself and anyone else who wants to use it on whatever day or whatever occasion seems fitting. By all means alter it in any way that will help you grieve, alone or with a group. Share freely.

For a two page (4 sides) copy of the prayer: Extinction Grieving Prayer.

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EXTINCTION GRIEVING PRAYER

Use two candles; prepare suggested (or other) music and video. Directions are starred. Adapt in any way that facilitates use. 

CALL TO PRAYERsparrow-dusky_seaside_sparrow-from-wikipedia

. . .today, the dusky seaside sparrow
became extinct. It may never be as famous
as the pterodactyl or the dodo,
but the last one died today . . . .
An excerpt from “Science” by Alison Hawthorne Deming

What you call resources, we call our relatives. Source unknown.

* Light the first candle. It honors all the species that have gone extinct in our lifetimes.

Great Giver of Life, we pause to remember our place at the beginning of the Sixth Great Extinction on Planet Earth. For 13.8 billion years creation has been groaning: bringing to birth, becoming more complex, more organized, more conscious. The other great extinctions during the past 450 million years happened by forces beyond anyone’s control. Now, for the first time, our species is ruining whole ecosystems, aborting entire interdependent species. We acknowledge that we play a part in this dying by our carelessness, ignorance, and indifference. Forgive us our part in the death of healthy ecosystems and the resulting extinction of creatures in whom we believe divinity lives and acts.

LITANY OF AFFIRMATION

imagesWe affirm the Sacred Mystery that caused and continues Creation.

We affirm the 13.8 billion years of our Universe.

We affirm the billions of galaxies, each with its billions of solar systems and stars.

We affirm the multiple transformations during the 4.5 billion years of Mother Earth’s life so far, and the relentless evolution towards ever-greater consciousness in the future.

We affirm the millions of species that have inhabited our planet in beautifully-webbed communities: microorganisms, plants, fish, birds, mammals . . . .

We affirm that we came from Earth and exist, like all species, in a communion of subjects.

LITANY OF GRIEF

We grieve humans’ lack of awareness of, and concern about, the destruction of interdependent communities that have taken billions of years to develop.

We grieve the climate disasters that extinguish habitats and the multiple species within them.

We grieve the more than one-in-four flowering plants, the one-in-five mammals, the nearly one-in-three amphibians, and the one-in-eight birds that are vulnerable to being wiped out completely. (International Union for the Conservation of Nature)img_18-tm

We grieve the Golden Toad (pictured here), native to Costa Rica. It has not been seen since 1989, when a single male was found, the last of its species.

ibex1-tmWe grieve the Pyrenean Ibex (pictured here). The last of this species naturally born was a female, Celia, who died in 2000.

We grieve the St. Helena Olive, images-1a small spreading tree, the last of which perished in 2003 primarily due to deforestation and invasive plants.

We grieve all our extinct brother and sister species, the amphibians, fish, birds, mammals, plants and trees, and their diminished habitats.

We grieve the humans whose sustenance and livelihoods are threatened by this disruption in the food web.

We grieve the deaths of ecological martyrs: Sister Dorothy Stang, Dian Fossey, Chico Mendes, and the over 900 other activists slain since 2004. (Global Witness)

* LISTEN TO or SING:

“Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” Perhaps for v. 2 and 3: species, workers.  (If needed, Joan Baez’ version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LZ2R2zW2Yc.)

* Extinguish first candle. Light second candle. It honors the threatened species that remain and our desire to protect them. 

* QUIET REFLECTION: 

For believers, our faith is tested by our concern and care for creation. U. S. Catholic Bishops: “Renewing the Earth” 1991

* WATCH:
How wolves renewed Yellowstone Parkimages-2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh_fdfIPvDg.

LITANY of GRATITUDE and HOPE 

We are grateful that 90% of species under the protection of the Endangered Species Act (U.S.) are recovering at the rate specified by their federal recovery plan.

0611.Rugendo_in_bukima.150We are grateful that British oil company Soco International agreed (June 2014) to suspend exploration in a national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to half the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas (pictured here) and thousands of other species. We thank the over 750,000 people who signed a petition to stop the oil drilling.

We are grateful that the Zoological Society of London released its list of birds most at risk of extinction based on evolutionary distinctness and global endangerment (EDGE) in April 2014. This information will help conservationists decide where efforts should focus first.

We are grateful that the population of the California Least Tern californialeasttern_flickrcommons_USFWS-Pacific-Southwest-Region(pictured here), listed as endangered in 1970, grew from 225 recorded then to 6,568 recorded in 2010.

We are grateful for all of the habitats that have been saved so that the interdependent species within them can escape extinction.

We are grateful for the many people throughout the world who dedicate their time and efforts to keeping habitats and species alive so they can give praise to their creator by their distinct lineages, attributes, and contributions to the web of life.

ACTION SUGGESTIONS

Let us not leave in our wake a swath of destruction and death which will affect our own lives and those of future generations.  Pope Francis

To save species, we must save ecosystems. To save ecosystems, we must reduce climate change, pollution, poaching, invasive species, and over-consumption. Mentally check the things on p. 4 that you already do. There might be something else there that you would want to do.

* READ QUIETLY:

 Consciously deepen appreciation of the glory of creation, its long story, the place of Divine Mystery in it, and humans’ dependence upon it.      Pray for the healing of creation.

Reduce all energy use.      Transition to renewable energy sources (for electricity).

Encourage institution to invest in renewable energy and to divest from fossil fuels.

Drive less and/or reduce gas use by not exceeding 60 mph on the highways (and other ways).

Avoid produce, meat, and poultry from factory farms.      Buy recycled products.

Reduced use of plastic.          Carry water in a thermos (not bottled water).            Buy local.

Avoid genetically modified foods (GMOs).      Lobby for laws to protect habitats and species.

Include Earth-care concerns when choosing legislators.

Join (or cooperate with) a group working to conserve, restore and protect habitats and species.

* DISCUSS:

Einstein said: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge points to all that is. Imagination points to all that could be.  What kind of Earth “could be”? How can we contribute to co-creating it?

SENDING FORTH

Great Giver of Life, we come from, and we dwell in, the magnificent world in which you live and act. Our species is causing extinctions; our species can prevent them. Let us not be thwarted by the immensity of the challenge, for the Power working within us can do more than we could imagine. May the flame of this candle continue burning in our hearts, reminding us to help our threatened relatives.

* Extinguish second candle.

Enlighten us to find you in all Creation; empower us to treat it accordingly. Through Jesus Christ, whose respect for Earth inspires us to live as he did. Amen.

* SING:

“The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God” or “Touch the Earth” (Kathy Sherman, CSJ) or another appropriate song

* SHARE

a sign of hope with one another (or a sign of peace).

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORLD ENVIRONMENT and PENTECOST

May27

World Environment Day, Thursday, June 5, calls us to respond, however we can, to the crises afflicting our world. Some will pray in gratitude for the wonder of our evolution story and of our planet. We will ask to be empowered to respond adequately to global threats to Earth’s present and future, especially climate change and its ramifications.

You might want to use the following service for personal or group prayer. Adapt in any way that is helpful. For a two-sided copy of the prayer, click here: world.env.day.2014.  If you have suggestions for the prayer, please add them to the comments.

images 2     World Environment and Pentecost Prayer
                      

All: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle within them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the Earth.

Reader 1: Renew the face of our Earth, loving Creator, as you can only do through us. Help us realize our part in Earth’s climatechange312way-bcbd4a49729066e8ac3f0fdfb4f9099b7ec9b826-s6-c30suffering and our call to act on behalf of our brothers and sisters and the global systems that sustain all life.

Reader 2: Four recent Climate Change reports have confirmed that the worst climate prediction made decades ago are being exceeded. We who believe that all life is interconnected and that the Mystery we call God has been living and acting in the cosmos for 13.8 billion years and in planet Earth throughout its 4.5-billion-year story, gather to respond to these reports on World Environment Day.

Reader 3 leads the intentions: Let us be grateful for the wonders of creation. Response is We are grateful.

– For the billions of years Earth has been evolving, and for being part of its continuing evolution,   We are grateful.

– For the gifts of the Spirit in all Creation, We are grateful.

– For fresh, clear air, especially [anyone: name a time/ place where you especially appreciated clean air],   We are grateful.

– For rich, healthful soil, especially [anyone: name a time/ place where you especially appreciated rich dirt],   We are grateful. 273620,xcitefun-lake-matheson-1

– For pure, cool water, especially [anyone: name a place/ time when you especially appreciated water],   We are grateful.

– For healthful crops, especially [anyone: name one that you especially appreciate],   We are grateful.

– For the thousands of species that grace our Earth, especially [name something that you especially love],   We are grateful.

– For the interdependence that each of the above has with us and with one another,  We are grateful.

– For all whose personal and organizational efforts help to renew our Earth,   We are grateful.

– For [whatever else you wish to name],   We are grateful.

Sing “How Great Thou Art” or other appropriate hymn/song.

Reader 4: Some facts to consider:

– A March 2014 Pentagon report found that climate change impacts are “threat multipliers,” and that the rapid rise of global temperatures and associated extreme weather events could exacerbate issues like “poverty, environmental degradation, political instability and social tensions — conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence.”

–  55% of water in the United States are rated in “poor” condition: unfit for swimming, fishing, or drinking. The oil-floating-on-waterEnvironmental Protection Agency studies show that the problem is getting worse.

– Already people and other life forms are living with the effects of climate change: rising temperatures; drought and water shortages; unpredictable weather, disrupted seasons and failed crops; flooding, land loss and salination of vital water supplies; resulting increase in poverty, vulnerability, and the need to relocate.

– The carbon dioxide and methane increases resulting from the lifestyles of the wealthiest are damaging the poorest among us. The injustice of this demands correction.

What other facts concern you? Share.

Reader 5: from Pope Francis’ The Joy of the Gospel, par.183: An authentic faith — which is never comfortable or 4completely personal — always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it. We love this magnificent planet … and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses.

Reader 6: from The Earth Charter: We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. … We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace . . . .

Share what you are already doing to improve the local/ global situation.

When everyone has had time to share, and perhaps to generate ideas for future action, pray together: 

Creator God, in your mercy, recreate our hearts that we might better partner with you to renew the face of this awesome but damaged Earth. Amen!

Optional: “Peril or Promise” from My Heart Is Moved, Caroline McDade.

Stardust Wednesday Ritual

Feb18

We Are Stardust

Readers of this blog will be well aware that they are stardust. They might even

images-2remember when, where, and from whom they first learned that fact — or truly realized it. For many of us, the news was revolutionary. Talk about a paradigm shift!

As far as I can discover, few suspected this fact prior to 1929, when Harvard astronomer Harlow Shapley remarked that “humans are made of the same stuff as the stars.” Three decades later, scientists showed that the atoms of which we are made are not only the same as those in stars; the atoms that comprise our “stuff” were actually created inside stars! No wonder gazing at stars can have such a profound effect on us! No wonder we sometimes really feel that we are one with all creation!

Also awesome is the realization that we become star stuff by way of Earth. When Christians are asked on Ash Wednesday to remember that they are dust, they can remember the Genesis story of how God took Earth’s clay/ humus to form the first humans. They can also remember that human evolution dates back not just to the very beginnings of our Earth, but all the way back to stars!

Ash Wednesday

images-1 Traditionally, on Ash Wednesday Christians flock to Church to begin Lent by receiving a sign of the cross on their foreheads. Originally called “Day of Ashes,” this custom had begun by the 8th century. Many Scripture references, primarily in the Hebrew Scripture, tell of repentant people putting on “ashes and sackcloth.” Ashes were originally sprinkled on the head rather than marked on the forehead. The ashes are a reminder of our sinfulness and mortality; the sign of the cross reminds us of Jesus’ forgiveness of sinners.

The ashes come from the burned palms used the year before on Palm Sunday. People are usually happy to get a good black smear to prove that they appreciate the symbolism of this sacramental — even if we didn’t exactly come from ashes.

Stardust Wednesday Ritual 

The following ritual is not intended as competition for the usual Ash Wednesday practice. It is suggested as supplemental to the traditional ashes ceremony, or as an alternative for anyone who would not otherwise participate in anything. A two-sided copy of just the ritual is available from terrishcj@aol.com.

Organizer(s) and/or those participating: Adapt the following ritual in any way that will make it more useful. (Send suggestions to terrishcj@aol.com.) Decide how much to use, music, and readings. You might want to be creative with sparklers or glitter. If wanted, plan refreshments.images-6

Begin together: May the Divine Power living and acting within us deepen our wonder and appreciation of the fact that we are made of stardust!

Music: Sing or say the lyrics for “Born of a Star” from We Are the Land We Sing, Carolyn McDade: http://www.catholicmusic.us/carolyn-mcdade-cds.aspx

Born of a Star

Return
Return to the darkness, return
this longest night of wonder Return
Return to the dream, return
this holy night to ponder
Deep in the night, listen
listen
Turn to the light
waken, waken
Deep in the night turn to the light Waken to Sun’s ancient summons ~

we who are born of a star who then are we?
we who are loved by a star who then love we?

We who are born of a star who then are we?

Reading(s): (Select one or more)

• from Radical Amazement, Judy Cannato: The massive star that was mother to our Sun met with fiery death, her form completely annihilated be the explosive force of the blast. And yet she exists in each of us, in the cells of our bodies that are composed of her dust. Consciously or not, we carry her within us as surely as we carry the DNA of our biological parents [and ancestors].

• from The Cosmic Dance, Joyce Rupp: Our planet Earth was once a dancing star, evolving over four and a half billion years ago from the many elements of a colliding supernova. I have loved knowing that we are “made of stardust” as Brian Swimme and other poetic cosmologists tell us. I like knowing that the composition of my body has the elements of a star that was once brilliantly aglow in the universe and is now dancing in me. There’s a magical sense of connection that comes from this knowledge . . . .

• from Once Upon a Universe, Pat Bergen, CSJ/Ministry of the Arts: When our Milky Way was 5 billion years old, a [later] generation star was coming to the end of her life. This grand old star collapsed in on herself and then exploded in a blast as fierce and brilliant as a million stars. It was our grandmother supernova! Her death gave birth to hundreds of new, more complex elements — carbon, iron, calcium, oxygen, magnesium . . .  “stardust” flung far out into space. Gravity again went to work and drew the dust back into a hot, dense center. And voila! Our glorious Sun star ignited! The rest of the stardust gathered into 8 fiery planets of molten rock and gases, dancing with their moons in orbits around the Sun. Thus were born [what became] our home planet Earth, our moon, our great generous Sun, . . . our whole solar system.

 Quiet Reflection

 Sharing: What connection(s) do you find between this story and the stories of Jesus that we ponder during Lent and Easter?

 Intentions: Reply is “We are grateful.”
– for the Spirit present within the creative process of creation and within each of us, We are grateful.
– for the generations of supernovas that exploded, resulting in stars with increasingly heavier elements, eventually leading to the supernova that resulted in our solar system and galaxy,
– for Sister Dirt, because of whom we can enjoy food, flowers, plants clean air, shade, and revelations of the divine,
– for farmers who till the soil, especially our local farmers who do it organically using fair trade practices,
– for the scientists, theologians, thinkers, writers, speakers and artists who have helped us realize our place in creation — [Pause to quietly remember one or two who have helped you. Name them if you wish],
– for those present and throughout the world committed to creating a flourishing Earth,

 Blessing: Join in 2’s or 3’s. Allow a few moments for people to think of a prayer for their partner(s). Then, in turn, each extends hands over (or on) the other’s head and says a blessing, wish, or thanksgiving. (E.g., John, may God’s loving Spirit deepen our awareness that all creation is one. Pat, thank you for bringing your starlight into my life. Al, I bless you and the star-stuff you invest in caring for creation.)

 Socializeimages-3