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Season of Creation with Francis (Days 16-18)

September 16, 2023

Fr. John Colacino C.PP.S.

September 16

I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me —and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labours under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.

There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God. (Ecclesiastes 2:18-26)

Meditation

If we reflect on the proper relationship between human beings and the world around us, we see the need for a correct understanding of work; if we talk about the relationship between human beings and things, the question arises as to the meaning and purpose of all human activity. This has to do not only with manual or agricultural labour but with any activity involving a modification of existing reality, from producing a social report to the design of a technological development. Underlying every form of work is a concept of the relationship which we can and must have with what is other than ourselves. Together with the awe-filled contemplation of creation which we find in Saint Francis of Assisi, the Christian spiritual tradition has also developed a rich and balanced understanding of the meaning of work, as, for example, in the life of Blessed Charles de Foucauld and his followers.

Musical Selection (John Michael Talbot)

There's an appointed time
For everything
And a time for every purpose
Under heaven
There's a time to be born
And time to die
There's a time to plant
And for uprooting

There's a time to kill
And a time to heal
There's a time to tear down
And a time to build
There's a time to weep
And a time to laugh
There's a time to mourn
And a time to dance

There's a time to throw stones
And a time to regather
There's a time to embrace
And for distances

There's a time to seek
And a time to lose
A time to keep
And to cast away
There's a time to rend
And a time to sow
There's a time to speak
And for silences

There's a time to love
And a time to hate
There's a time to war
And a time for peace

There's an appointed time
For everything
And a time for every purpose
Under heaven

September 17

I will now call to mind the works of the Lord,
and will declare what I have seen.
By the word of the Lord his works are made;
and all his creatures do his will.

The sun looks down on everything with its light,
   and the work of the Lord is full of his glory.
The Lord has not empowered even his holy ones
   to recount all his marvellous works,
which the Lord the Almighty has established
   so that the universe may stand firm in his glory.
He searches out the abyss and the human heart;
   he understands their innermost secrets.
For the Most High knows all that may be known;
   he sees from of old the things that are to come.^*
He discloses what has been and what is to be,
   and he reveals the traces of hidden things.
No thought escapes him,
   and nothing is hidden from him.
He has set in order the splendours of his wisdom;
   he is from all eternity one and the same.
Nothing can be added or taken away,
   and he needs no one to be his counsellor.
How desirable are all his works,
   and how sparkling they are to see! (Ecclesiasticus 42:15-22)

Meditation

Whoever is not enlightened by the splendors of such created things is blind. Whoever does not awaken at such a noise is deaf. Whoever does not praise God because of all these things is mute. Whoever does not turn towards the First Principle because of these indications is stupid. So open your eyes, prick up your spiritual ears, loosen
your lips and wake your heart, so that you may see, hear, praise, love, adore, magnify and honor your God in all created things, just in case the entire universe rise up as one against you. For this reason, indeed, the entire universe will fight against those who are unaware; but for those who are aware, there will be glory, for those who, according to the Prophet, can say, In what you will do, Lord, you have given me delight and I shall be joyful at the work of your hands. How wonderful are your works, Lord, you have done all things in wisdom and the earth is full of your riches. (Journey 1:15)

Musical Selection (John Michael Talbot)

Sunrise in the morning
Let all creation greet the dawn
And praise the Lord who created
Brother sun to open our eyes

For all of us would be blind
If not for the light of our Lord

Reading
"In every work of the artist, he praised the divine Artist
Whatever he found in the things made, he referred to the Maker
He rejoiced in all the works of the hands of the Lord, and in beautiful things, he saw divine beauty itself
Whoever is not enlightened by such brillinat of things created, must be blind
Whoever is not awakened by their mighty voise, must be deaf
And whoever fails to praise God for all his works, must be voiceless"

For all of us would be blind
If not for the light of our Lord

September 18

We could say more but could never say enough;
   let the final word be: ‘God is the all.’
Where can we find the strength to praise him?
   For he is greater than all his works.
Awesome is the Lord and very great,
   and marvellous is his power.
Glorify the Lord and exalt him as much as you can,
   for he surpasses even that.
When you exalt him, summon all your strength,
   and do not grow weary, for you cannot praise him enough.
Who has seen him and can describe him?
   Or who can extol him as he is?
Many things greater than these lie hidden,
   for I have seen but few of his works.
For the Lord has made all things,
   and to the godly he has given wisdom. (Ecclesiasticus 43:27-33

Meditation

When we speak of the “environment”, what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. Recognizing the reasons why a given area is polluted requires a study of the workings of society, its economy, its behaviour patterns, and the ways it grasps reality. Given the scale of change, it is no longer possible to find a specific, discrete answer for each part of the problem. It is essential to seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems. We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.

If everything is related, then the health of a society’s institutions has consequences for the environment and the quality of human life. “Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment”. In this sense, social ecology is necessarily institutional, and gradually extends to the whole of society, from the primary social group, the family, to the wider local, national and international communities. Within each social stratum, and between them, institutions develop to regulate human relationships. Anything which weakens those institutions has negative consequences, such as injustice, violence and loss of freedom. A number of countries have a relatively low level of institutional effectiveness, which results in greater problems for their people while benefiting those who profit from this situation. Whether in the administration of the state, the various levels of civil society, or relationships between individuals themselves, lack of respect for the law is becoming more common. Laws may be well framed yet remain a dead letter. Can we hope, then, that in such cases, legislation and regulations dealing with the environment will really prove effective? We know, for example, that countries which have clear legislation about the protection of forests continue to keep silent as they watch laws repeatedly being broken. Moreover, what takes place in any one area can have a direct or indirect influence on other areas. Thus, for example, drug use in affluent societies creates a continual and growing demand for products imported from poorer regions, where behaviour is corrupted, lives are destroyed, and the environment continues to deteriorate. (LS 4: 139,142)

Prayer

You are holy, the only God,
And your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, All Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,
Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful
Lord, God Almighty, Merciful Savior.
Amen. (St. Francis of Assisi)

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