Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Week in Ordinary Time

World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Readings of the Day
RB: Prol 1-7
Mass: 1 Cor 2:10b-16; Resp Ps 145; Lk 4:31-37

Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord who comes to govern the earth.

O LORD, OUR LORD, HOW AWESOME IS YOUR NAME THROUGH ALL THE EARTH!

(Ps 8:10)

Welcome to September and the beginning of the Season of Creation, which extends to October 4, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). To begin the season, here is a poem from Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004), The Excursion to the Forest, followed by the Pope's September Prayer Intention.

The Excursion to the Forest

The trees so huge you can't see the treetops.
The setting sun fixes a rosy flame
On every tree, as on a candlestick,
And tiny people walk a path below.

Let us raise our heads, hold hands
So that we don't lose our way in the tangled grass.
The night has begun to put seals on the flowers,
Color after color is flowing down the sky.

And there, above, a feast, Jugs of gold,
Red wine is being poured in the aspen copper.
And an airborne coach carries gifts
For the invisible kings or for the bears.

We are squeezing out the planet's goods. Squeezing them out, as if the earth were an orange.

Countries and businesses from the global north have enriched themselves by exploiting the natural resources of the south, creating an "ecological debt." Who is going to pay this debt?

In addition, this "ecological debt" is increased when multinationals do abroad what they would never be allowed to do in their own countries. It's outrageous.

Today, not tomorrow; today, we have to take care of Creation responsibly.

Let us pray that the planet's resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner.

No to plundering; yes to sharing.

(Pope Francis, September 2020 Prayer Intention)

Today's photo: From a 2017 Sanctuary Forest "Big Red" hike. Spectacular.

© Gertrude Feick 2020