The Season of Creation reminds us that the world needs peace and justice, the genuine kind that can only come from God, and from our right relationship with Him, with humanity and with nature: only in this way can justice and peace flow, like an inexhaustible stream of pure water, nourishing humanity and all creatures.
Unfortunately, with our rapacious consumerism, fuelled by selfish hearts, we are disrupting the planet's water cycle. The unbridled use of fossil fuels and the felling of forests are creating rising temperatures and causing severe droughts. Frightening water shortages increasingly afflict our homes, from small rural communities to large metropolises. In addition, predatory industries are depleting and polluting our sources of drinking water with extreme practices such as hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction, uncontrolled mega-extraction projects, and intensive animal farming. 'Sister water', as St Francis calls it, is plundered and turned into 'merchandise subject to the laws of the market'.
But a fairer world is possible, and it also depends on us, on each one of us: let us not miss the chance to create it! Let us transform our hearts, our lifestyles and the public policies that govern our societies! Our hearts today are not in harmony, they do not beat together in justice and peace. Let us therefore heed the call to stand by the victims of environmental and climate injustice, and to end this senseless war on creation.
Let our hearts beat together, with the heartbeat of creation and the heartbeat of God.
There is no redemption without creation: the pope reminds us that the Redeemer is the Creator. Creation refers to God's mysterious and magnificent act of creating this majestic and beautiful planet and this universe out of nothing, and also to the result of that action, still ongoing, which we experience as an inexhaustible gift. During liturgy and personal prayer in the "great cathedral of creation", we remember the Great Artist who creates so much beauty and reflect on the mystery of the loving choice to create the cosmos.
Let us collaborate in God's continuous creation through positive choices! Let us raise our voices to stop this injustice to the poor and to our children, who will suffer the worst impacts of climate change. Let us care, as Don Bosco teaches us, for our youth and their future!
To actively participate in the Time of Creation, download the guide prepared by the Laudato Si' Movement in 6 languages - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sZDuaTiWwq9Ky1Dif9kR8BB1xnBQyapQ - and view the website: https://seasonofcreation.org/
