Celebrating the season of creation

On September 1st, Christian Churches celebrated the World Day of Prayer for the Gift of Creation, marking the start of the Season of Creation. 

The Season ends on October 4th, the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, a saint beloved by so many Christian denominations.

It is a call to Christians and to all people of goodwill to “respond to the cry of Creation: to contemplate and care for our common home“.

Pope Leo, in his message for the World Day of Prayer on September 1st, reminded Christians that environmental justice is an urgent need that involves much more than protecting the environment: “It is a matter of justice … and for believers it is a duty born of faith since the universe reflects the face of Christ.” 

This year’s theme, 'Immersion in Living Water', is a deeply spiritual one. 

It calls us to contemplate water as the source of all life, reminding us of our duty to conserve and protect our water sources: our streams, rivers, oceans, lakes and the underground water table.

The introductory guide to this year’s celebration highlights pollution, drought, flooding, contamination by industry and agriculture and unequal access to clean water as major justice issues.

The theme is based on the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 47:9 ff) who uses the image of water flowing from the temple as an image of what God wants for creation. 

The river begins as a small stream, but wherever it flows, barren lands become fertile, fish flourish, trees grow, and stagnant, polluted waters can be healed.

Ezekiel’s vision depicts water as a divine agent of renewal, justice, and hope - a life-giving force flowing from God’s sanctuary.

It is a symbol of divine presence and blessing. On a more contemplative level, the flowing water is a symbol of God’s love and grace. 

Christians are called to immerse themselves fully in this living water; that is, an invitation to Christians to become immersed in the struggle for ecological justice, to cooperate with the Lord in the work of restoration and healing of creation.

(As an aside, think how much we appreciate the coastal area surrounding us in the southeast. The sea does impact the soul. The French poet Baudelaire captures this fascination really well in his poem, 'L’Homme et La Mer'. He presents the sea as reflecting humanity’s inner life - its depth, mystery, restlessness and darkness.  

The vastness of the sea evokes for Baudelaire humanity’s longing for what lies beyond ordinary experience - the eternal, even the divine.) 

The guide for the Season of Creation proposes three movements of participation in this great work of bringing healing to our waters. 

The first movement is a call to contemplation: to notice creation again, to pray beside rivers, seas and deserts, and discover wonder and gratitude; then to immerse oneself in the current reality by listening to communities suffering from pollution, drought or flooding and then to turn our prayer into concrete action in the parish and wider community.

We will host a number of events in the parish to mark the Season of Creation. 

On September 12th, our parish Eco Group, together with our Liturgy Committee, will organise a river ritual close to the banks of the Suir. 

The service will incorporate a lament for our failure to respect the gift of water: choking our oceans with microplastics, polluting our rivers, and ecological degradation which poisons wells and turns a life-giving resource into a source of conflict and displacement.

The primary theme of the ritual is thanksgiving for water - water which brings beauty to all we enjoy: the wild places, mountains, woodlands and the sea. 

A number of people will each present a bowl of water symbolising the power of water which they have witnessed in their careers and voluntary work: water which washes clean and brings health to our bodies, rainwater which feeds the soil, seawater from Tramore symbolising the amazing beauty of the beaches, the vast oceans and the incredible sea life which fills the water with life and colour.

On Saturday, September 26th, ecologist Katriina Bent will lead us on a contemplative walk through the sand dunes in Tramore. 

The dunes are a priority habitat under the EU Habitats Directive, as they are a naturally evolving ecosystem that supports pioneer plants and many invertebrates. 

The dunes shelter the Back Strand from the open sea and help sustain this internationally important wetland area. 

The dunes and the wetlands form part of an ecological system that supports, feeds, and provides roosting sites for various species of migrating waterbirds.

The ecological crisis reflects a broken relationship between God and humanity and between human beings and the rest of nature. 

The Season of Creation calls us to step into the living water of God’s love and to do our little bit to help restore a life-giving world for the human and the non-human.