During the Season of Creation, which takes place each year from September 1 to October 4, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, we renew our commitment to being stewards of creation and to praying for its preservation.
One of the phrases that explains the thought of Mother Marie Eugenie and is part of our being is: “I keep my gaze fixed on Jesus Christ and on the extension of His Kingdom.” And if you wonder where Jesus looked, you might think of characters from the Gospels and also places He visited, walked through, worked in, and made protagonists of His stories. Perhaps some readers of this article have had the blessing of visiting the Holy Land. Jesus became incarnate in specific places within the Creation of God. Leo XIV reminds us that the world “is a mystery to contemplate.”
Be that as it may, I invite you to set your gaze on the creation around you. What resonates within you? Perhaps a landscape, a sea, a desert, a river, an animal or the rainbow. A rising sun, stars that shine in the night. And what if you recall the taste of seasonal fruits or the gentleness of caressing a horse or a dog? Have you ever thought about the journey of your bread, your milk or your fruit? How much work and care from the farmer and the herdsman! What happens when you enter the church and see it adorned with flowers? Have you reflected on the healing that nature gives our tired bodies and minds?
“Our spirit… A great spirit of prayer, grounded in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.” Are we aware of the many references to creation in the psalms? Can you remember all the creation you praise each time you pray and sing the psalms? The psalmists often use creation to speak of God’s character. As in Psalm 29: “The voice of the Lord is over the waters.” Or in Psalm 8: “What is man that you are mindful of him?” And Psalm 145 responds: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.”
On October 4, when we celebrate the saint of Assisi, we will also mark the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures. This ode, written in 1225, is a hymn of praise to creation. Saint Francis observed, contemplated, and composed it in fraternal union with all of creation. Every creature is beautiful, created by God, by the love that flows from His creative act. The poem sings of the four elements: sky, earth, water and fire. If creatures are sisters, this implies respect for their dignity. Thus, the idea of domination or careless use of creation disappears. All of creation joins in the praise of God. Francis of Assisi praised the Most High, almighty and good God, and His presence in creation.
I will do so on my way to my community in Ponferrada, fixing my gaze on the mountain that survived a summer scarred by wildfires. I will give thanks for the men and women who fought to put out the flames. I will pray for those who lost their livelihood, and some, their very lives. The Earth needs our care and protection, for it is here that we are called to live and to embody the will of God in our lives.
Ana Alonso, ra. Province of Spain
[1][1] "Comienza el centenario del Cántico de las criaturas, «inspirador de la verdadera ecología»" . Website consulted on 11-9-2025
[2] In case this version of the Canticle of the Creatures helps you.