CELEBRATING CREATION DAY

September 1, 2015

OPENING PRAYER
Presider:
Let us pray.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, Creator of the Universe.
You fill the world with your glory and give it to us as a
home. Teach us to recognize its wonders, to treasure its
variety, and to protect its fragile beauty.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
GOSPEL
from the holy gospel according to Matthew (6:25-
34)
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or
reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are not you more important than
they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment
to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not
work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so
clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is
thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more
provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and
say, What are we to eat? or What are we to drink? or
What are we to wear? All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But
seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides. Do not
worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

Presider: Help us to take up our responsibility of

conserving and protecting Gods creation:

Lord, hear our prayer!

That we may hear the cry of our sister Earth because of

the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible
use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed
her, we pray...

That we might recognize that the climate is a common

good, belonging to all and meant for all and make the
changes of lifestyle, production and consumption in order
to combat global warming, we pray...

That God may open our hearts to both the cry of the
earth and the cry of the poor, we pray...

That we might hear the call to be instruments of God our

Father, so that our planet may be as God created it and
may correspond to his plan for peace, beauty and
fullness, we pray...
For a deep reverence toward creation, that we might
experience everything, soil, water, mountains, as a caress
of God, we pray...

That the Spirit of God may deepen our recognition of the

nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily
acts, we pray...

For all followers of Jesus, that we may recognize that

living our vocations to be protectors of Gods handiwork is
not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian
experience, we pray...

For our brothers and sisters who are sick and dying that
they may find comfort and consolation in our love and
care, sacraments of Gods love, we pray...

Priest: God our Father, temper our craving for prosperity

and progress in order that the beauty of creation may be
preserved, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS

Presider:

God of Creation, these gifts are the work of

your hands which you have given us.
Accept this bread and wine
as a pledge that we will care for all creation.
We offer them in Jesus name. Amen.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER IV

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

A PRAYER FOR OUR EARTH (from Pope Francis

Laudato Si)

(All)

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe

and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this
earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts

of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

CLOSING PRAYER
Presider:

O God, who made everything good,

teach us to love what you have made.
Help us to see you in the stars and planets,
the trees and flowers, the rocks and the rivers,
forests, and animals that you have entrusted to our care.
How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth. Amen.