Pope Francis’ Season of Creation, which begins today and continues to October 4, sets out to awaken our respect for creation, writes Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ. Source: Catholic Outlook.
This season invites us to see the world, not as something apart from us, but as a delicate and interlocking set of relationships of which we are part. It invites us to appreciate our world through the lens of God’s love in the making of our world and in all our relationships in it.
The season calls us to be thankful.
The first step in respect is noticing the beauty and delicacy of our world and to be overwhelmed by gratitude for being called by God to be part of it. We realise that we do not own our environment but are part of it.
Our world is an image of God’s love for us. It is not merely useful for our purposes but in its excess, it reminds us of the overwhelming gift of God’s love.
To notice such things and to be grateful for them lie at the heart of our celebration of the season of creation. It is the baseline with which our use of God’s gifts of creation must harmonise.
It also enables us to recognise and regret the disrespect with which we often treat God’s creation. The pollution, the exploitation and destruction of the rhythms of creation for gain, or even worse for the destruction of the human and natural world through the weapons of war, are not simply mistakes, but are blasphemy. Although we know that much of this disrespect is unintended, and perhaps even unnoticed, we grieve to see it.
To notice and celebrate the season of creation reinforces our commitment to respect it. It is a time to attend to our world, to celebrate its beauty and respect its delicacy, and to join others in coming to its defence.
Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ writes for Jesuit Communications and Jesuit Social Services.
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A reflection for the Season of Creation (Catholic Outlook)
