Season of Creation 2021
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration of prayer and action for our common home. Together, the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray and protect God’s creation. The season starts 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
The Message of the XXII General Chapter, in the “Principles and Suggestions”, points out to us the “urgency of changing the way we live”, inviting us to base it on an integral ecology, along the linesproposed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si. In addition, the Chapter Message suggested that we “develop policies at all levels of the Institute that strengthen our commitment to care for our common home”.
A home for all? Renewing the oikos of God
This year we will be uniting around the theme, “A HOME FOR ALL? RENEWING THE OIKOS OF GOD.” Oikos is the Greek word for “home,” or “household.” By rooting our theme in the concept of oikos, we celebrate the integral web of relationships that sustain the well-being of the Earth.
This year’s symbol, Abraham’s tent, signifies our commitment to safeguard a place for all who share our common home, just as Abraham did in the Book of Genesis.
As Marists of Champagnat, we are invited to participate through prayer, sustainability projects, or advocacy.
- Prayer: Host an ecumenical prayer service that unites all Christians to care for our common home.
- Sustainability: Lead a clean-up project that helps all of creation thrive.
- Advocacy: Raise your voice for climate justice by participating or leading an ongoing campaign, such as the movement to divest from fossil fuels.
We invite you to schedule your own participation in the season. As a first step, go to SeasonOfCreation.org. You will find the official Season of Creation Celebration Guide, a wide range of resources, and a form to register your events.
It is up to us to be creative, to do our bit, to be open to working together with others, to start with our personal and concrete reality. It is an urgent task. Our world and our brothers and sisters cannot wait.
