10 Things to do to conserve and restore creation!

(adapted from website)

1. WORSHIP and give thanks to our Creator and Redeemer in Holy Mass! This is the single most important action that you can take to help restore Creation! Our experience of worship makes us more aware of God in all Creation. Out of worship comes a Christian response to rule Creation rightly -- humbly, justly, enthusiastically, and with holiness and wisdom. Christian worship is a response of thanksgiving. The liturgy leads us to offer thanks and praise to God for the gifts of Creation and Redemption. Participating regularly in this liturgy will gradually teach us to live constantly in a sense of profound gratitude. With this viewpoint, we are more likely to care for Creation as God's gift. In addition, worship fosters conversion, the gradual giving of our whole life to God, which is necessary for us to become good stewards of the Earth. Just as Saint Francis praised God for every being and for all of Creation, a parish community can do the same every week in its liturgy and celebrations.

The Importance of the Eucharist

Pope John Paul II has said, "When I think of the Eucharist, and look at my life as a priest, as a Bishop and as the Successor of Peter, I naturally recall the many times and places in which I was able to celebrate it... I have been able to celebrate Holy Mass in chapels built along mountain paths, on lakeshores and seacoasts; I have celebrated it on altars built in stadiums and in city squares... This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ" (Encyclical Letter "Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 2003).

For Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, the Eucharist became the deepest source of support for his desire for cosmic peace and reconciliation. Just two years before he died, St. Francis said: "I beseech all of you, by whatever charity I can, that you show reverence and all honor to the most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, because (in Him) all things, whether on earth or in heaven have been pacified and reconciled with Almighty God".

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "the Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ the Church can offer the sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation and in humanity" (no. 1359).

2. CONTEMPLATE the wonders of God's creation in the woods, by the sea, in a park, on a mountain, on a farm, or in a garden. Many people can sense the presence of the Lord in the midst of nature. "Faced with the glory of the Trinity in creation, we must contemplate, sing, and rediscover awe," said Pope John Paul II.

To be aware of God in nature should also lead us to praise the Lord in worship at Mass. And our experience in Mass should make us more aware of God in nature. The relationship between experiencing God in nature and in worship is truly of mutual benefit!

3. CELEBRATE with special creation-oriented liturgies or prayer services (St. Francis Day, Rogation Days, Earth Day, etc.) According to the U.S. Bishops, "We urge celebrants and liturgy committees to incorporate themes into prayer and worship that emphasize our responsibility to protect all of God's creation and to organize prayerful celebrations of creation on feast days honoring St. Francis and St. Isidore."

4. CAREFULLY USE the resources of the Earth by conducting environmental or energy audits of your grounds, recycling, composting, organic gardening, etc.
STUDY to know more of creation and its needs. Join at least one scientific or conservation organization and take the time to read their magazine and other publications. Attend public meetings in which information about creation, specifically the neighborhood creation, is presented and discussed. Pick up and use a nature field guide, such as a field guide to birds or wildflowers.

5. EDUCATE your congregation or parish school by sponsoring or participating in Catholic theology/spirituality and environment classes/workshops, environmental study groups, lecture series, special curriculum, video or library resources, etc.

6. ENGAGE in youth activities like special liturgies, prayer services, wilderness experiences, ecological restoration, litter or environmental cleanups, etc.

7. PROMOTE or sponsor public policy activities such as letter writing campaigns, interfaith events, meetings with government representatives, community events, etc.

8. DIRECT advocacy towards health issues, biodiversity conservation, toxic waste clean-up, misuse of pesticides, land and water conservation, lead poisoning, sustainable development, authentic development, alternative energy sources, ecological restoration, etc.

9. EXAMINE your environmental responsibility in terms of issues particular to your community whether you are urban, rural or suburban.

10. CULTIVATE outdoor activities, such as hiking, walking, camping, biking, boating, gardening, canoeing, kayaking, photography, hunting, fishing, swimming, mountain climbing, birding, and botanizing. Take yourself and your family out of your house, automobile, shopping mall, and theme park and into the living world.