Earth Day is a movement that has given voice to an emerging consciousness of the unity of creation and the ‘new creation’ that is the resurrection of Jesus. The mutual love between God and God’s people calls us to love and care for one another and all of creation.
Praise Be to You
“The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” Pope Francis wrote in his encyclical that highlights the climate change crisis. He blames consumerism, overconsumption, and dependence on fossil fuels for this unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, and warns that there will be serious consequence for all of us if we do not take action quickly. The most vulnerable victims, he says, are the world’s poorest people, who are being dislocated and disregarded.
We ask that you take action and pray on Earth Day and every day as the Maryknoll Sisters work to safeguard the gift of creation that our Creator has entrusted us.
Prayer for the Earth
you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness
all that exists.Pour out upon us
the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace,
that we may live as brothers and sisters,
harming no one.
help us to rescue
the abandoned and forgotten
of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world
and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty,
not pollution and destruction.
at the expense of the poor and the earth.Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature as we journey
towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
— Pope Francis
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Laudato Si (Praise to You)
Leadership Council of Women Religious< produced a two-page resource for Laudato Si based on the pastoral circle.