Shopping Sustainably
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OMC Joins EcoPhilly - The Philadelphia Archdiocese is responding to Pope Francis’ call in his encyclical letter Laudato Si’ for “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet” in light of the fact that “everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation” As part of the Laudato Si' Movement, the mission of EcoPhilly is to establish a network of creation care teams throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that achieve measurable improvements in their local environment. Click HERE for more information about Eco Philly
The 2024 Season of Creation
This year the theme “Hope and act with Creation” and the symbol “The first fruits of hope”, inspired by Romans 8:19-25, will be our guiding inspiration.
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration that calls us together each year to pray and respond jointly to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family from around the world comes together to listen to and care for our common home. The “Celebration” begins on September 1st, the Feast of Creation, and concludes on October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Guided by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans
The biblical image depicts the Earth as a mother groaning as if giving birth (Rom 8:22). St. Francis of Assisi understood it this way when he referred to the Earth as our sister and our mother in his Canticle of the Creatures. The times we live in demonstrate that we do not relate to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but as a resource to be used.
“Creation groans” (Rom 8:22) because of our selfishness and unsustainable actions that harm it. Together with our Sister, Mother Earth, creatures of all kinds, including humans, cry out because of our destructive actions that cause climate crises, biodiversity loss and human suffering, as well as Creation’s suffering.
However, Creation teaches us that hope is present in waiting, in the expectation of a better future (cf. Rom 8:20-21). To hope in the biblical context does not mean to remain still and silent, but to groan, to cry out and actively strive for a new life in the midst of difficulties. Creation and all of us are called to worship the Creator, working together for a dynamic future based on hope and action. Only when we work together with Creation can the firstfruits of hope spring forth. As in childbirth, we go through a period of intense pain, but new life emerges.
To delve deeper into the theological reflection that guides the 2024 theme and symbol, find more information here.
Click here for the Season of Creation website.
The Season of Creation is the annual Christian celebration that calls us together each year to pray and respond jointly to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family from around the world comes together to listen to and care for our common home. The “Celebration” begins on September 1st, the Feast of Creation, and concludes on October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations.
Guided by St. Paul in his letter to the Romans
The biblical image depicts the Earth as a mother groaning as if giving birth (Rom 8:22). St. Francis of Assisi understood it this way when he referred to the Earth as our sister and our mother in his Canticle of the Creatures. The times we live in demonstrate that we do not relate to the Earth as a gift from our Creator, but as a resource to be used.
“Creation groans” (Rom 8:22) because of our selfishness and unsustainable actions that harm it. Together with our Sister, Mother Earth, creatures of all kinds, including humans, cry out because of our destructive actions that cause climate crises, biodiversity loss and human suffering, as well as Creation’s suffering.
However, Creation teaches us that hope is present in waiting, in the expectation of a better future (cf. Rom 8:20-21). To hope in the biblical context does not mean to remain still and silent, but to groan, to cry out and actively strive for a new life in the midst of difficulties. Creation and all of us are called to worship the Creator, working together for a dynamic future based on hope and action. Only when we work together with Creation can the firstfruits of hope spring forth. As in childbirth, we go through a period of intense pain, but new life emerges.
To delve deeper into the theological reflection that guides the 2024 theme and symbol, find more information here.
Click here for the Season of Creation website.
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Monthly Laudato Si Prayer Services: Join in these Global Prayer Services every first Friday of the month to hear creation’s song, creation’s cry, and creation’s invitation. Throughout these prayer services we will have a guest's reflection, scripture reading and prayers of the faithful. We look forward to praying with you. Live interpretation available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Click HERE to register.
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Renewing the Earth: Living Laudato Si' in the Year of Ignatius - This spring the Vatican launched the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a plan that invites the global Church on a 7-year journey toward total sustainability. Renewing the Earth: Living Laudato Si' in the Year of Ignatius invites you to consider St. Ignatius’ conversion as a model for your own ecological conversion in this historic environmental era that requires a renewal of our spirits and of the earth. You're invited to join a journey of discernment to bring the Laudato Si' Action Platform to life with Ignatian spirituality as a guide. . Click HERE for more information
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