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An Invitation to Join the 2022 Season of Creation

The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration to listen and respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world unites to pray and protect our common home, the Oikos of God.

The Season “Celebration” begins 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.

Following the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we begin the Season of Creation “Preparation” to reach local leaders and call our communities to participate actively by raising awareness of the theme, and how to respond to the cry of creation where the Lord calls us in our diverse contexts.

The 2022 Theme

This year we will unite around the theme, “Listen to the Voice of Creation.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many have become familiar with the concept of being muted in conversations. Many voices are muted in public discourse around climate change and the ethics of Earth-keeping. These are voices of those who suffer the impacts of climate change. These are voices of people who hold generational wisdom about how to live gratefully within the limits of the land. These are voices of a diminishing diversity of more-than-human species. It is the voice of the Earth. The 2022 Season of Creation theme raises awareness of our need to listen to the voice of creation.

The 2022 Symbol

The burning bush is the Symbol for the Season of Creation 2022.

We invite you to use the symbol of a burning bush during your events. Today, the prevalence of unnatural fires are a sign of the devastating effects that climate change has on the most vulnerable of our planet. Creation cries out as forests crackle, animals flee, and people are forced to migrate due to the fires of injustice that we have caused. On the contrary, the fire that called to Moses as he tended the flock on Mt. Horeb did not consume or destroy the bush. This flame of the Spirit revealed God’s presence. This holy fire affirmed that God heard the cries of all who suffered, and promised to be with us as we followed in faith to our deliverance from injustice. In this Season of Creation, this symbol of God’s Spirit calls us to listen to the voice of creation, and faithfully respond through worship, repentance and action. As you celebrate this Season of Creation, light candles, light the Easter fire, adorn a bush in your place of worship or action. And may this symbol remind us to take off our sandals, contemplate our connection to holy ground, listen for the voice of creation, and be filled with hope to quench the fires of injustice with the light of God’s healing love that sustains our common home.

Join the Season of Creation

We hope that this Season of Creation renews and unites us by the one Baptism and call to care for our common home. We invite you to schedule your own participation in the Season. As a first step, please visit SeasonOfCreation.org, or download some of the Season of Creation Resources that are included below.

The Diocese of Wollongong Liturgy Office especially recommend the LISTEN 2022 Season of Creation Liturgical Guide, and reading Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation:

LISTEN 2022 CATHOLIC SEASON OF CREATION LITURGICAL GUIDE

POPE FRANCIS’ MESSAGE FOR THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CREATION

Below you will find additional resources to help you / your community promote the 2022 Season of Creation:

Across the Season of Creation, you will find weekly posts on the Diocesan Website to share liturgical resources for the upcoming Sunday of Ordinary Time.

If you have any enquires, please contact the Diocesan Liturgy Office at liturgy@dow.org.au.

Blessings,

Sr Monica Barlow RSJ
Sacramental and Liturgy Consultant