Listen to the Voice of Creation

In 2015 Pope Francis established 1st September as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of

Creation, encouraging the Catholic community around the world to pray for our common home. The day is inspired by Pope Francis' landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls on "every person living on this planet" to care for our shared Earth.

The Season of Creation begins on September 1st and the theme and invitation of this year’s season is Listen to the Voice of Creation. In his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2022, Pope Francis calls us to use the season to "cultivate our ecological conversion” and to pray together in “the great cathedral of Creation”. He warns that we are reaching “a breaking point" and must act decisively so that "we and future generations can continue to rejoice in creation’s sweet song of life and hope."

We raise to God our thanks for the marvellous works that have been entrusted to our care,

and we ask for God’s help as we take action to protect our planet and all of its creatures.

Key Points of the Pope’s Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

A time to cultivate our ecological conversion

• The Season of Creation is “an opportunity to cultivate our ‘ecological conversion’ and during this time we are invited to “pray once more in the great cathedral of creation, and revel in the “grandiose cosmic choir” made up of countless creatures, all singing the praises of God”.
• The Pope calls us to feel “even more responsible for acting each day in accordance with the summons to conversion, not simply individual but “the ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion”.

Sweet song and bitter cry

• Listening to creation, Pope Francis mentions that there is a “kind of dissonance”: “On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator; on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home”. We are encouraged to stop consumerism, change lifestyles and harmful systems. “We are reaching ‘a breaking point” and we must act now. “The crisis is no longer a hypothesis of a distant future but a tangible reality that is costing human lives”.

A warning message ahead of the COPs

• Ahead of COP 27 on climate (Egypt, November 2022) and COP 15 on biodiversity (Canada,
• December 2022) Pope Francis emphasises the importance of “promoting the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement”. He says, “Each passing moment is an opportunity for everyone, especially world leaders, to reverse the biodiversity and climate crises.
• To the community of Catholics, the Pope calls them to prayer: “In this Season of Creation, let us pray that COP27 and COP15 may unite the human family to decisively address the double crisis of climate and biodiversity reduction”.

Four key principles for biodiversity

Pope Francis uses his message to call on nations to halt the further collapse of the “web of life” – biodiversity – pointing to four principles:

1. Building a clear ethical basis for the transformation we need in order to save biodiversity;
2. Fight biodiversity loss, support its conservation and recovery, and meet people’s needs in a sustainable way;
3. Promote global solidarity, taking into account that biodiversity is a global common good that requires a shared commitment;
4. Put people in vulnerable situations at the centre, including those most affected by biodiversity loss, such as indigenous peoples, older people and youth.

And so we pray…

Creator of All,

From your communion of love, your Word went forth to create a symphony of life that sings your praise.

By your Holy Wisdom, you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of creatures who praise you in their being. You placed us into right relationships with each creature so that we could listen to their voices and learn how to safeguard the conditions for life.

But we turn in on ourselves and away from our co-creatures. We fail to listen to the cries of the poor and the needs of the most vulnerable. We close our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the Scriptures.

In this Season of Creation, we pray that you call to us, as from the burning bush, with the sustaining fire of your Spirit.

Breathe upon us. Open our ears and move our hearts.

Fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice with the light of your healing love that sustains our common home.

In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Last weekend we celebrated the first weekend of the First Holy Communion Masses in our Lumen Christi Parish. 

We congratulate the twelve students who have now achieved another step in their initiation into the catholic church and received Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist. 

This weekend will see another seven students celebrate their First Holy Communion.

And so we pray…

Lord Jesus,

Bless the children coming forward to receive Holy Communion for the first time.

May this day be an initial step into a life-long love of the Eucharist.

Give them a hunger for this sacred food so that they turn to you for comfort, guidance and wisdom as they grow into full discipleship.

May their hands extended, in anticipation of your body and blood, inspire us to cherish this sacred Sacrament. Amen

PARISH MASS

An invitation is extended to parents, grandparents and carers to attend their child/children’s designated grade Parish Mass and then stay for a ‘cuppa and a chat’. 

We are hoping that this will assist you to become reacquainted with the Mass and our community. Please put the date/s in your diary!

REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING 

These are the links, usernames and passwords for the online resources that may be used in week 10 for learning in Religious Education.

Links to 

Know Worship Love  - https://app.kwl.com.au/

Google username and password

Understanding Faith - Website - http://primary.understandingfaith.edu.au/log-in 

Username: ceo.dow.5009

Password: 24bookSAVE