Week 2 – 2024 Season of Creation Reflections – “To Hope & Act with Creation”
September 9th, 2024
(By Maurice Lange, current Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)
Reflection #2: September 1
READ: 2nd part of Pope Francis’ letter for the 2024 Season of Creation (below)
REFLECTION: Recall the last time that you groaned.
Groan. It’s not a commonly-used word, but perhaps it’s something you’ve been doing more of in these times. What with climate anxiety, polarization, forced migration, racism, economic disparity, fundamentalism and the US election year.
Pope Francis points out: Paul writes that groaning is a response common to Creation, ourselves and even the Holy Spirit. “Creation is groaning in labor pains” (Romans 8:22). What is it that Creation, we ourselves and also the Spirit are all trying to give birth to?
Francis writes that our faith is gift but also task. Our faith tasks us to care for suffering humanity, including their environment (oikos), Earth. We’re all groaning to birth and put into practice a new level of human consciousness, one that hopes and acts with Creation.
ACTION: Today is the World Day of Prayer for Creation and the beginning of the Season of Creation. Let’s pray & celebrate today by consciously, hopefully and actively groaning. This intentional act, in unison with Creation & the Spirit, brings to consciousness our deep desire & opens the way for clear-minded commitment.
“Earth herself…is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she groans…” (Laudato Si #2)
- Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE
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