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2026 Season of Creation Reflection #5 September 23rd, 2026

2026 Season of Creation

(Reflections by Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)

We continue with our Reflections for this Season on Pope Leo’s latest letter and its theme: .

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” — (Isaiah 2:4)

REFLECTION #5: What leads to human conflict and exploitation of Creation? Along with hearts needing to be renewed, Pope Leo points to “an ethical and cultural crisis, including the loss of a sense of limits…”

Thomas Berry further claims that (western) humans rage against Earth’s limitations.*

Allow the claims from Pope Leo & Thomas Berry to sink in……

Such loss + rage is on clear display in our misguided consumer demands. The current Administration as well as big tech mince no words in their rage against limitations.

ACTION: : Earth’s limitations – from the length of the seasons to the carrying capacity of landscapes – can actually evoke our nobility as humans. Living with a sense of place, living humbly and living in relationship with Earth make us grateful for Earth’s dynamic of generosity – which we partake in with every breath.

“The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations.”

(Laudato Si #66)

FULL REFLECTION: https://bit.ly/3VKNVnK

Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE: https://pbvmunion.org/…/laudato-si-action-platform…/

2026 Season of Creation: Immersed in Living Water September 11th, 2026

(By Maurice Lange, Justice & Peace Director at Presentation Sisters & founder of the Oblate Ecological Initiative)

The world is celebrating the Season of Creation, that runs from September 1 to October 4. It is a time to pray, reflect, and take action for the gift of our common home.

This year’s theme, “Living Water,” is based on Ezekiel 47:9,12, which invites Christians to recognize water as a source of life and a precious gift from God. It also reminds us that our care for creation is deeply connected to our care for one another.

These reflections are inspired by Pope Leo’s 2026 letter for the Season of Creation. Each ponders 1 of 9 topics in Leo’s writing, with focus given to the 2026 theme of “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

“The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life.” (Laudato Si #2)

READ: 4th part of Pope Leo’s letter for the 2026 Season of Creation (view PDF)

REFLECTION: How is your heart this Season of Creation? : Similar to the season of Lent, our observance of the Season of Creation has the ability to center us. Our special focusing these 34 days brings us to the heart. “…the human heart…the center of the person – the place where reason, desire, will and conscience converge.” Pope Leo points our attention to the condition of the human heart being linked to Earth’s degradation and war’s wounds. Such outward torment belies interior discord, division and distortion.

* What integral ecology project, initiative or ministry inspires & challenges you?
* Where might you be feeling divided, distorted?
* What are you attending to?

ACTION: What if our culture spent some percentage of its time on healing of the heart as it does on social media?! It is this healing or “conversion of heart” that Leo calls for. To assist us in this conversion, I encourage you to make time for prayer in this regard: sit peacefully with this recent, deeply meaningful Hiroshima/ Nagasaki prayer service – co-sponsored by our Presentation Sisters.

DOWNLOAD FULL REFLECTION

Visit the Presentation Sisters, US Province’s WEBSITE

READ MORE OF MAURICE’S WEEKLY REFLECTIONS

2026 Season of Creation Activities @ Sacred Heart Church September 8th, 2026

Celebrating the Season of Creation (September 1 – October 4, 2026) @ Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, CA

The GreenTeam at Sacred Heart Church is continuing to mark the 2026 Season of Creation with activities throughout September and into October.

These beautiful banners, displayed in the church garden this weekend, are just one visible reminder of this special season.

There’s something happening almost every week, with opportunities to gather, reflect, learn, and take action.

FULL CALENDAR: https://bit.ly/4xAeTgf

2025 Season of Creation: Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, CA Celebrates October 9th, 2025

(Contributed by Fr. Jack Lau OMI, Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, CA)

The last weekends of the Season of Creation were one of pilgrimage, planting and blessing. On Saturday, September 27th members of the Green Team at Sacred Heart Church, Oakland, joined the Laudato Si California Pilgrimage from the Newman Hall/Holy Spirit Parish at U.C. Berkeley to St. Mary Magdalen Parish to celebrate a Mass presided by Fr. Wilson Adelakasami SVD, cousin of Fr. Martin Savarimutu, OMI (India), who gave a sermon/class on Laudato Si and the prophet Amos.

On October 4th, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, we had a relic of St. Francis at the weekend Masses at Sacred Heart and that evening watched the movie “Brother Sun Sister Moon“. On Sunday, October 5th we hosted the annual blessing of animals and the planting of native milkweed seeds.

From beginning to end, we remained mindful of our vocation to care for our common home as we listened to the cry of the poor and of Mother Earth.