Newsletter - 14 September 2025
Peace with Creation - Season of Creation 2025
Peace with creation is the theme and invitation of this year's Season of Creation, which draws its inspiration from Isaiah 32:14-18.
In his message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025 on 1 September, Pope Leo writes: “In Christ we are seeds of peace and hope. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Spirit of God can make an arid and parched desert into a garden. In his words, ‘a spirit from on high will be poured out on us, and the wilderness will become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field a forest. Then justice will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace, quietness and trust for ever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places’ (IS32:15-18). These words remind us that, together with prayer, determination and concrete actions are necessary if this 'caress of God' is to become visible to our world (cf. Laudato Si', 84). The prophet contrasts justice and law with the desolation of the desert. His message is extraordinarily timely, given the evidence in various parts of the world that our earth is being ravaged. On all sides, injustice, violations of international law and the rights of peoples, grave inequalities and the greed that fuels them are spawning deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity. Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate changes provoked by human activity are growing in intensity and frequency (cf. Laudato Deum,5) to say nothing of the medium and long-term effects of the human and ecological devastation being wrought by armed conflicts. That is not all, Nature itself is reduced to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be battered for economic or political gain.”
The Pope explains that all these wounds are the effect of sin, the broken relationship between God and humankind. God created men and women in his image to 'till and keep' the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2.15) and not to exercise 'tyranny over creation' (Laudato Si' 200). And he adds: “In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity.”
To finish his message, Pope Leo urges us to follow words with deeds, to sow seeds of justice, with love and perseverance to help the growth of peace and the renewal of hope. ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience’ (Laudato Si', 217).
We, at Christ the King, give thanks for all that God has made, repent for the damage that we have caused and commit ourselves to take action to protect the earth, our common home.
Helena Worley
Our Common Home
Focus of the week
PARISH LAUNCH DAY
Due to the success of last years Parish Launch Day, Let's gather again on Sunday 21 September.
This will be an opportunity for us to reconnect and for newcomers to join us. Additionally, we will have the chance to discover all the groups and activities available in our Parish.