News Archives » 2021 Season of Creation
2025 Season of Creation: “Seeds of Peace and Hope” Reflection #3 September 5th, 2025
(By Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)
“The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God” (Laudato Si #84)
READ: 3rd part of Pope Leo’s letter for the 2025 Season of Creation (view PDF)
Image by Adriano Gadini, Pixabay; Tatiana S. , Pixabay
REFLECTION: “…the prophet contrasts justice and law with the desolation of the desert …”. Indeed, Isaiah contrasts these quite well: justice provides peace and fecundity while injustice ravages and desolates. You’ve heard of “desertification”? (cf: Laudato Si #89) It is a process of ecological degradation in which fertile land becomes arid and loses or reduces its productivity. Much of Earth is currently undergoing a process of desertification due to human factors including climate change. Pope Benedict XVI once observed that: “the external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast”. What is fostering internal desertification?
ACTION: While working with the soil of my garden, I’ve thought that if more people had direct contact with Earth, they would be healthier. For God’s caress to be felt in our world, Pope Leo reminds us that together with prayer, both determination and concrete actions are necessary. *
“…reducing water consumption, planting trees, reusing…all of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings.” (Laudato Si #211)
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Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE
READ MORE OF MAURICE’S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
- Week 1: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 2: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 3: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 4: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
- Week 5: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
2025 Season of Creation: “Seeds of Peace and Hope” Reflection #2 September 2nd, 2025
(By Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)
“Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.”(Laudato Si #246)
READ: 2nd part of Pope Leo’s letter for the 2025 Season of Creation (view PDF)
Image by Alexa, Pixabay
REFLECTION: “…a spirit from on high will be poured out on us…”. Like those unexpected seeds that blossom next to roadways, Pope Leo tells us that we too are seeds: of peace and hope. With God’s help I’ve created several fertile gardens over the years. With first some imagining and then digging, that which was seemingly lifeless sprang into fruitfulness. (Well… the addition of a little manure helped as well!) So too, God’s Spirit is poured onto us for fertilization. Those gifts within us which lie dormant are enabled to bear much fruit. The possibilities within our seed-ness are realized: the building of God’s reign of justice and peace
ACTION: Sept. 1 was the World Day of Prayer for Creation and the beginning of the Season of Creation. Just as the life within seeds is coaxed forth by soil, warmth and moisture…we pray for the creation of positive and healthy environments, so that the goodness of many people may be evoked.
“The current global situation engenders a feeling of instability and uncertainty, which in turn becomes ‘a seedbed for collective selfishness’ … …a change in lifestyle could bring healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic and social power.” (Laudato Si #204,206)
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Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE
READ MORE OF MAURICE’S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS
- Week 1: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 2: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection
- Week 3: 2025 Season of Creation Reflection – COMING SOON
The 2021 Season of Creation runs from Sept. 1-Oct. 4 September 1st, 2021
Season of Creation invites us to contemplate the theme, “A Home for All?”
Photo courtesy of Niko Photos, Unsplash
A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God is the theme of this year’s Season of Creation, which will be an opportunity to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together.
During the Season of Creation, Catholics join the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home to renew the Oikos of God.
To help with your personal reflections, Earthbeat @ National Catholic Reporter, will run a featured series every Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the Season of Creation. Visit this page for their At Home in Creation Series.
Find additional resources at these links:
- Season of Creation Watch a video that explains…what is Oikos? https://youtu.be/h9YPN84q3S8
- Laudato Si’ Movement
- Laudato Si’ Action Platform
- Catholic Climate Covenant
- Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate – JPIC Tips for living sustainably – download brochures in English & Spanish
- World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation – Prayer Service
