Season of Creation (Sept 1)
September 01, 2026
Season of Creation with St. Francis
September 1
Introduction
The theme for this year's Season of Creation is "Immersion in Living Water." "The call is for transformation – that Christians would be immersed in the living water flowing from the throne of God- stepping in deeper and deeper, inspired by the Spirit of God, working together for the renewal of Creation." For this reason, the Scripture passages, the Musical Selections and the Prayers we have chosen all have references to water, especially the water of baptism.
In addition to this, Pope Leo XIV has declared a Jubilee Year of St. Francis from January 10, 2026 - January 2027 to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Poverello of Assisi's transitus or passage from death to eternal life on October 3, 1226. It was Pope St. John Paul II who, in 1979, proclaimed Francis the patron saint of ecology saying, “He offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation. As a friend of the poor who was loved by God's creatures, St. Francis invited all of creation—animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon—to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples.” The pope, in his 1990 Message for the World Day of Prayer for Peace, elaborated further on the figure of St. Francis expanding our concerns to what is called "integral ecology" that includes the good of the human person as well as care for the environment. For all these reasons, this year's meditations are drawn mostly from Franciscan sources.
As in previous years, each day (September 1-October 4) includes art, a passage from Scripture, a meditation, a musical selection and concluding prayer.
Scripture: Gen 1:1-9
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
Meditation
From Pope John Paul II's Message for World Day of Peace 1990
V. THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS: A COMMON RESPONSIBILITY
15. Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone. As I have pointed out, its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at establishing the duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, States and international community. This not only goes hand in hand with efforts to build true peace, but also confirms and reinforces those efforts in a concrete way. When the ecological crisis is set within the broader context of the search for peace within society, we can understand better the importance of giving attention to what the earth and its atmosphere are telling us: namely, that there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and that the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations. I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue. Even men and women without any particular religious conviction, but with an acute sense of their responsibilities for the common good, recognize their obligation to contribute to the restoration of a healthy environment. All the more should men and women who believe in God the Creator, and who are thus convinced that there is a well-defined unity and order in the world, feel called to address the problem. Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith. As a result, they are conscious of a vast field of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation opening up before them. 16. At the conclusion of this Message, I should like to address directly my brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, in order to remind them of their serious obligation to care for all creation. The commitment of believers to a healthy environment for everyone stems directly from their belief in God the Creator, from their recognition of the effects of original and personal sin, and from the certainty of having been redeemed by Christ. Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God (cf. Ps 148:96). In 1979, I proclaimed Saint Francis of Assisi as the heavenly patron of those who promote ecology (cf. Apostolic Letter Inter Sanctos: AAS 71 [1979], 1509f). He offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation. As a friend of the poor who was loved by God's creatures, Saint Francis invited all of creation -- animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon -- to give honour and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples. It is my hope that the inspiration of Saint Francis will help us to keep ever alive a sense of "fraternity" with all those good and beautiful things which Almighty God has created. And my he remind us of our serious obligation to respect and watch over them with care, in light of that greater and higher fraternity that exists within the human family.
Musical Selection
Wind upon the waters,
voice upon the deep;
rouse your sons and daughters,
wake us from our sleep.
Breathing life into all flesh,
breathing love into all hearts,
Living wind upon the waters of my soul.
Showers from the heaven,
water from the earth;
Gift so wholly given,
source of every birth.
Joy of every living thing,
making all creation sing,
Shower down upon the dry earth of my soul.
Rock and hill and garden,
wood and desert sand;
Prairie, field and meadow,
shaped by Love's own hand.
Love that fills the world around,
springing up from barren ground,
Grow your love within the garden of my soul.
Blazing light of wonder,
flame that pierces night;
Burst the dark asunder,
fill our souls with light.
Lord of glory, fill the skies,
make an end to hatred's cries,
Be the blazing Sun of justice in our lives.
Wind upon the waters,
rains upon the sand,
Grace your sons and daughters,
newborn by your hand.
Come, O Spirit and renew
all the life that comes from you,
Send your winds upon the waters of my soul.
Prayer
Almighty God, your word of creation
caused the water to be filled
with many kinds of living beings
and the air to be filled with birds.
We rejoice in the richness of your creation,
and we pray for your wisdom
for all who live on this earth,
that we may wisely manage and not destroy what you have made
for us and for our descendants.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (Book of Common Worship; BCW)