The Season of Creation. 

September 1 was proclaimed as a day of prayer for creation for the Eastern Orthodox Church by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989. It was embraced by other major Christian European churches in 2001, and by Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015. In recent years, many Christian churches have begun celebrating the “Season of Creation” (also known as Creation Time) between September 1 and October 4, the Feast of St. Francis that is observed by some Western traditions. St. Francis is the author of the Canticle of the Creatures, and the Catholic saint of those who promote ecology. 

I wanted to share with you this information and the prayer below which I encourage you to share with your family. We are very lucky in Australia that this Season coincides with the Season of Spring- as nature re-awakens from it’s Winter slumber, we can all join together in praising God for this wonderful gift.  

Creator of All,  

From your communion of love, 

your Word went forth to create a symphony of life that sings your praise.  

By your Holy Wisdom  

you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of creatures  

who praise you in their being.  

Day after day they pour forth speech;  

night after night they reveal knowledge.  

You called human beings to till and keep your garden.  

You placed us into right relationships with each creature  

so that we could listen to their voices,  

and learn how to safeguard the conditions for life.  

But we turn in on ourselves and away from our co-creatures.  

We close our ears to the counsel of our fellow creatures.  

We fail to listen to the cries of the poor and the needs of the most vulnerable.  

We silence the voices of those who hold the traditions that teach us to care for the Earth.  

We close our ears to your creative,  

reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the Scriptures.  

We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats that will never speak again.  

We grieve the loss of human cultures,  

along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced or perished.  

Creation cries out as forests crackle,  

and animals alike flee the fires of injustice that we have lit by our unwillingness to listen.  

In this Season of Creation,  

we pray that you would call to us,  

as from the burning bush,  

with the sustaining fire of your Spirit.  

Breathe upon us.  

Open our ears and move our hearts.  

Turn us from our inward gaze.  

Teach us to contemplate your creation,  

and listen for the voice of each creature declaring your glory.  

For “faith comes from hearing.” 

Give us hearts to listen for the good news of your promise to renew the face of the Earth.  

Enlighten us with the grace to follow the Way of Christ  

as we learn to walk lightly upon this holy ground.  

Fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice 

 with the light of your healing love that sustains our common home.  

In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

Staff Reflection Day 

On the 5^th September, all St Joe’s staff members met for a day of contemplation and unity at Sunset Rock in Stirling. The theme was: Breaking Bread. During this day we focused on that which makes our school stand out: our strong sense of community. Through the lens of Communion, we explored the notion of coming together, and being of service to each other and to our school students and families. We cooked together too! We made Cavatelli con Sugo, Pizza pockets and salads. It was a beautiful opportunity to laugh and learn. We came away from this day feeling nourished: in our bodies, hearts and souls.   

Below are the recipes we followed: you might want to try them at home too! 

Cavatelli:  

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/handmade-pasta-meat-sauce-cavatelli-lunghi-alla-molisana 

Pizza pockets (We used fresh, pre-made pizza dough): https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-ham-cheese-pockets/ 

Blessings to all!