“His divine presence, which ensures the subsistence and growth of each being, ‘continues the work of creation’”. Pope Francis Laudato Si’ #80
As we begin the second week of this year’s Season of Creation, consider practicing an Earth Examen.
An examen is a way of being in prayerful wonder of something you behold. In celebration of the Season of Creation, look for a quiet time to spend in nature, paying attention to the life cycles of plants, animals, or any facet of our earth. An Earth Examen is one of the resources offered through the worldwide Season of Creation.org site; a guide to this practice can be found by searching Season of Creation Earth Examen.
Would spending time in nature make a difference to our lives? Would stopping to pay attention to the complexity that surrounds us every day in the wildlife and landscapes that we live among increase a sense of respect for the environment? Would focusing on the season right now encourage us to appreciate this particular moment of creation and recognize the bounty of this month’s harvest and the impact of eating local seasonal foods? Would our health and well being be influenced? What about the effect on local small farms?
What are other ways that can help us slow down and take some deliberate time to explore how God is revealed through Creation? The Examen guide on the Season of Creation site offers a step-by-step practice that helps us re-discover our own sense of the sacredness of the world and thereby enliven our desire to respect and nurture it through our lives.
“The spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship….Discovering this presence leads us to cultivate the ecological virtues.”
Pope Francis Laudato Si’ #88
As we begin the second week of this year’s Season of Creation, consider practicing an Earth Examen.
An examen is a way of being in prayerful wonder of something you behold. In celebration of the Season of Creation, look for a quiet time to spend in nature, paying attention to the life cycles of plants, animals, or any facet of our earth. An Earth Examen is one of the resources offered through the worldwide Season of Creation.org site; a guide to this practice can be found by searching Season of Creation Earth Examen.
Would spending time in nature make a difference to our lives? Would stopping to pay attention to the complexity that surrounds us every day in the wildlife and landscapes that we live among increase a sense of respect for the environment? Would focusing on the season right now encourage us to appreciate this particular moment of creation and recognize the bounty of this month’s harvest and the impact of eating local seasonal foods? Would our health and well being be influenced? What about the effect on local small farms?
What are other ways that can help us slow down and take some deliberate time to explore how God is revealed through Creation? The Examen guide on the Season of Creation site offers a step-by-step practice that helps us re-discover our own sense of the sacredness of the world and thereby enliven our desire to respect and nurture it through our lives.
“The spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship….Discovering this presence leads us to cultivate the ecological virtues.”
Pope Francis Laudato Si’ #88