Season of Creation

"Listen to the voice of creation:

If we learn how to listen, we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance.

On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator;

on the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home."

(Pope Francis – The Season of Creation, 2022)

The theme of this year’s Season of Creation is 'Listen to the Voice of Creation' and the image is the Burning Bush.

During this Season of Creation we are invited to sit with the passage ‘The Burning Bush’. This scripture passage describes a ‘miracle story’ where God appears to Moses as a burning bush and the bush, whilst on fire is not consumed by the flames. At the time that God appears to Moses the people of Israel were in dire need of some intervention, they had just fled from slavery and were in search of a safe and prosperous place to call home.

In the story God chooses Moses to be the leader of the Israelites who will help them to find a place where they can flourish as a community. Moses is a great man but he is very humble. He does not believe that he has what it takes to be the leader for such a great task. He sees himself as quite unworthy and inadequate, not fit for the task at all. God, although a bit angry with Moses to begin with because of this lack of faith in himself, manages to convince Moses that he is in fact worthy, that his faith is what will inspire and help him to lead this positive change for his people.

Moses at the Burning Bush (Exodus 3: 1- 12)

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

There are some other great tales in the next part of this story, including God changing Moses’ staff into a snake – you will need to read on to find out more.

But the link between this story and us is clear. Many of us probably think that we are unable to do anything about the great harm that has been done to our planet, but we can. If we focus on the small things that we can contribute to then millions and millions of small things can bring about change…. And healing.

The Season of Creation is an invitation and an opportunity for us to cultivate ecological conversion. We can contribute in our own small ways to making a difference. What will you do to make a difference?

To learn more about The Season of Creation you may wish to watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7VNncdIC4E&t=1s

Or, visit this Australian website which includes Pope Francis’ invitation to be part of the Season of Creation - https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au/event/season-of-creation-begins-2022-09-04/

Kirrilee Westblade

College Leader - Catholic Identity

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