Since 2015, every year, the first day of the Season of Creation, September 1st, is the World Day of Prayer for Creation. For this 6th Day, Pope Francis offered a message (see here) to helps us think about this year’s theme: the Jubilee for the Earth.
The Pope said he was pleased that “the theme chosen by the ecumenical family for the celebration of the Time of Creation 2020 is ‘Earth Jubilee’, precisely in the year that marks the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day”.
He also pointed out that “In the Holy Scriptures, a Jubilee is a sacred time to remember, return, rest, restore, and rejoice“.
A time to remember, because “the Jubilee is indeed a time of grace to remember creation’s original vocation to exist and flourish as a community of love”.
A time to return, because “the Jubilee is a time to return to God, our loving Creator“, so as to “listen to the land itself, which Scripture calls adamah, the soil from which man, Adam, was made.” Because by being “attentive to the rhythms of this created world,” we become aware that “the earth from which we were made is thus a place of prayer and meditation“.
A time to rest, because “today we need to find just and sustainable ways of living that can give the Earth the rest it requires, ways that satisfy everyone with a sufficiency, without destroying the ecosystems that sustain us“.
Likewise, “the current pandemic has led us to rediscover simpler and sustainable lifestyles. The crisis, in a sense, has given us a chance to develop new ways of living. Already we can see how the earth can recover if we allow it to rest: the air becomes cleaner, the waters clearer, and animals have returned to many places from where they had previously disappeared.”
A time to restore, which invites us to “re-establish equitable societal relationships, restoring their freedom and goods to all and forgiving one another’s debts“. This is currently materialized in “the cancellation of the debt of the most vulnerable countries, in recognition of the severe impacts of the medical, social and economic crises they face as a result of Covid-19“, or in “Climate restoration“, “since we are in the midst of a climate emergency. We are running out of time, as our children and young people have reminded us,” says the Pope.
It also becomes a reality in “biodiversity restoration” which is crucially important “in the context of unprecedented loss of species and degradation of ecosystems“, or when we restore “with justice in mind, ensuring that those who have lived on the land for generations can regain control over its usage,” as is the case with indigenous communities.
Finally, it is a time to rejoice, because “we also witness how the Holy Spirit is inspiring individuals and communities around the world to come together to rebuild our common home and defend the most vulnerable in our midste“; because “the Laudato Si’ Special Anniversary Year – which began on May 24, 2020- is inspiring many initiatives at local and global levels for the care of our common home and the poor”; and because “faith communities are coming together to create a more just, peaceful and sustainable world“, and “Season of Creation is becoming a truly ecumenical initiative“.
“Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth” (cf. Ps 104:30).
