Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. [Psalm 96:7-9]
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings. To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name. [St. Francis of Assisi, Canticle of the Sun]
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor
gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…And can any of you
by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?... Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. [Matthew 6:26, 27, 28b-29]
Every day we read, hear, and
see the terrible news about the climactic and human expense wrought by the condition
of our planet from disastrous environmental events such as poisoned local water
systems, intense and wide-range hurricanes, enormous wildfires, massive flooding,
global heat records, and earthquakes that devastate huge areas and millions of
people. It’s not quite mid-October as I write and just with recent hurricanes and
several still raging, a historic and devastating hurricane season is here with
a while to go until it subsides into winter. Other bad news is about the new
and once rare yet now resurging diseases with a terrible impact on human
existence. And, if not enough, there are the ongoing and sudden new wars as the
global political and economic turmoil stresses the human psyches of uncountable
numbers. All of this requires our continuous attention and purposeful action as
our obedience to God-ordered stewardship of the Creation we inhabit.
Today we are to re-awaken our consciousness to our earthly
surroundings close by and well beyond our mere location to learn and know more
deeply this great gift of our Creator ~ Our Living Planet, Earth. Even in the
midst of all else, it now is time again to re-examine its lushness, its highest
peaks and deepest depths, the fragrances and the freshness; to re-discover our
companion creatures, wild and tame, and the extraordinary interconnections of
life among the plants and organisms that support us. Take a moment to marvel at
the vastness of the oceans, the rhythm of the tides, the flow of rivers. We
must look and see what has gone before, where we are now, and discover again
our world's potential and our place within it. Most importantly, we are to
discover ways to maintain and expand protections against industrial waste,
general pollution, and multiple large islands of plastic and other marine debris
in nearly every ocean of this Earth, the loss of precious water resources, and
especially the vast impact of our own everyday thoughtless actions
individually, collectively, and globally. This Earth and her resources provide
oxygen for our breath, and breath-taking beauty in which we know the wonder of
God.
We are called to be a servant to humanity as in Christ’s teaching
and example. God has given us charge over all Creation: wild, animal, human, vegetable,
mineral, water, air, land, and sea... Let us protect and prosper the gift we
have been given and continually seek to recognize, know, protect, and give
Praise to our God for the Sisters and Brothers that are our Sun, our Moon and Stars,
the Wind and Water, the Fire, and our Mother Earth in all of her guises.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of All that is, seen and unseen, grant us the humility to understand our true place in, and responsibilities for Your Creation. Help us to learn from every living creature, life form, land, sea, air, and planets, as we strive to be voice and champion for the protection and preservation of this gift of Earth, this Universe and beyond, that you lay at our feet.
O Lord, Breath of our Being
RESPONSE:
We praise and bless You by our faith in action
~ O God of All that is, instill within us and all who lead the governments of our Planet, our Nation, and our Community, the urgency to feed all people, remove causes of disease and violence, eradicate homelessness and the desperation that requires political asylum. Guide us to assure the well-being of eco-systems and environments that sustain the life and existence of Your whole Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord, Breath of our Being
We
praise and bless You by our faith in action
~ O God of All that is, surround the hearts of all who live with chronic illness or critical need with Your peace and healing; and grant endurance for those who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O Lord, Breath of our Being
We
praise and bless You by our faith in action
~ O God of All that is, set alight the spirits
of those called by You to lead us in Your Church, who guide us to make our
destination to You clear, and join us to love, honor, and serve as Christ has
taught and shown us by His example. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
O Lord, Breath of our Being
We
praise and bless You by our faith in action
The Celebrant adds: O God of Glory, awaken
us each day with the renewed desire to restore and cherish Your precious gift
of this living, breathing planet, the literal ground that supports every
earthly being. Kindle our fervor to actively engage in whatever way we can to
assure its health and wholeness, for all who live and breathe on this planet,
now and always. We ask through Jesus, our Teacher and Redeemer; and the Holy
Spirit, the Limitless Energy of our souls; who together with You are One God,
forever and ever. Amen.
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