RESOURCES FOR THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation takes place on September 1 of every year. Resources that can be used to help prepare a prayer service are as follows:
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
http://www.iustitiaetpax.va/content/dam/giustiziaepace/Eventi/giornatamondialepreghieracuracreato2015/PCJP_WorldDayPrayerCreation2015_PROPOSAL_ENG.pdf
Global Catholic Climate Movement
http://catholicclimatemovement.global/world-day-of-prayer/
Jesuits – English Province of Canada
http://jesuits.ca/story?TN=PROJECT-20150828014027
Franciscan Action Network
https://franciscanaction.org/article/world-day-prayer-care-creation
Canadian Religious Conference
http://www.crc-canada.org/en/world-day-prayer-care-creation
CAFOD – Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, United Kingdom
http://cafod.org.uk/content/download/29948/340910/version/7/file/Prayer%20vigil%20for%20the%20care%20of%20creation.pdf
Prayers to Care for Creation: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayers-to-care-for-creation.cfm
Prayer
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his exhortation The Sacrament of Charity, states, “Christian people when giving thanks to God through the Eucharist, should be conscious that they do so in the name of all creation, aspiring to the sanctification of the world and working intensely to that end.” In following a Eucharistic way of life we experience the blessings of our sacred earth and our responsibilities to it.
In silent prayer or together at Mass, we may pray to our Lord in thanksgiving for the gifts of creation. We may also include the following in the Prayer of the Faithful:
A reflection on our lifestyles
Today, we live in a culture of consumerism where having more is promoted as a means of achieving happiness. And yet we see the destructive impact of rampant consumerism on our sacred earth. We also see the positive impact of our environmentally friendly actions that protect our air, water and earth. As stated by our Canadian Bishops, "responsibility for restoring a healthy relationship with nature falls on each individual, who must re-examine his or her perceptions about possessions and personal comfort." During Lent let us take stock of our behaviour and lifestyles, fostering an authentic and loving relationship with our Creator God and neighbour.
Some questions that we may ask ourselves during our time of Lenten reflection…