September 4

Ps 104:5 You set the earth on its foundation,

immovable from age to age.

The Starlight Night (Hopkins)

Look at the stars! look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there!
Down in dim woods the diamond delves! the elves'-eyes!
The grey lawns cold where gold, where quickgold lies!
Wind-beat whitebeam! airy abeles set on a flare!
Flake-doves sent floating forth at a farmyard scare!—
Ah well! it is all a purchase, all is a prize.

Buy then! bid then!—What?—Prayer, patience, alms, vows.
Look, look: a May-mess, like on orchard boughs!
Look! March-bloom, like on mealed-with-yellow sallows!
These are indeed the barn; withindoors house
The shocks. This piece-bright paling shuts the spouse
Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows.

Meditation

As yet, we seem incapable of recognizing that the destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way. When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized and the excluded. The suffering of indigenous communities is emblematic in this regard.

That is not all. Nature itself is reduced at times to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain. As a result, God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources. We see this in agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, “scorched earth” policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials, which penalizes the poorer nations and undermines social stability itself. (Pope Leo XIV)

Musical Selection

Let the whole creation cry,
"Glory to the Lord on high!"
Heav'n and earth, awake and sing,
"God is good, and God is King!"
Praise Him, angel hosts above,
ever bright and fair in love;
sun and moon, lift up your voice,
night and stars, in God rejoice!

Christians striving for the Lord,
prophets burning with His Word,
those to whom the arts belong,
add their voices to the song.
Kings of knowledge and of law,
to the glorious circle draw;
all who work and all who wait,
sing, "The Lord is good and great!"

Men and women, young and old,
raise the anthem manifold,
and let children's happy hearts
in this worship bear their parts;
from the north to southern pole
let the mighty chorus roll:
“Holy, holy, holy One!
Glory be to God alone!”

Prayer