Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Today has been designated by Pope Francis as Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This year is marked by a joint message to us from Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew. They invite us to pray and reflect on how to live in a simple manner, using responsibly all the good things of the earth. Their message reads in part:

....the history of the world...reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behavior towards creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs.

The consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development. 

As we continue to pray for the people of Texas and the Gulf Coast, we are acutely aware of the fragility and preciousness of all life

Creator of the universe, who have made all things good and given the earth for us to cultivate. Grant that we may always use created things gratefully and share your gift with those in need, out of the love of Christ our Lord.

Abbey photographs by Brother Brian.