Liturgy has always been a living growing entity. Before the invention of printing, liturgies varied from place to place. Manuscripts traveled from place to place. Much of our holy week liturgies were formed by pilgrims coming back from the Holy Land, e.g. the Palm Sunday procession.
We may be witnessing the evolving of a new liturgical season of creation, beginning with September 1st and ending with the Feast of Saint Francis on October 4th.
BELOW IS A DRAFT OF A POST FOR MY "WEAL" WEBSITE. A SELECTION OF LINKS AND TEXTS THAT I WILL ORGANIZE BETTER.
WE SHOULD BE CREATIVE AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL IN FORMING A SEASON FOR CARE OF CREATION
FOR EXAMPLE, LABOR DAY RATHER THAN SEPTEMBER 1 OR A SUNDAY SEEMS AN IDEAL DAY TO CELEBRATE THE CARE OF CREATION.
FROM THE BEGINNING THIS HAS BEEN AN ECUMENTICAL PROJECT. THE MODEL OF THE ANGLICAN CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE OF NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS SEEMS IDEAL.
I PROPOSE A SERVICE OF LESSONS AND SONGS AROUND THE THEME OF CARE OF CREATION.
WHAT SCRIPTURE READINGS WOULD YOU INCLUDE? The Genesis account of the creation from the Easter Vigil seems an ideal beginning.
WHAT SONGS WOULD YOU INCLUDE? In the Lessons and Carols service, there is a beginning carol, and more than one carol per reading. Some of the carols are chosen to be used each year and sung by the congregation. Some are sung each year by the choir because they require more technical virtuosity. Some are new each year. The Season of Creation international committee has a theme for each year. This year it is flowing water from Ezechiel. What songs about flowing water would you include this year?
WHAT PSALMS WOULD YOU INCLUDE? I am thinking of nine psalms about creation which would precede the Service of Lessons and Songs of Creation. It would cover the assembling of the community. Similar criteria to the songs above including some songs about water for this year.
As an undergraduate I took an anthropology course on childhood and society at the University of Washington in Seattle. The professor had done his research on native Americans in the Northwest. He was deeply impressed by their ritual creativity in song and dance. He attributed this to the fact that young people on the periphery of the assembly were encouraged to imitate their elders who led the assembly. That meant by the time they became leaders they had a whole repertory of song and dance to use creatively. I had already experienced several forms of the Liturgy of the Hours and resolved to let it unfold naturally in my life as I experienced more music and ritual. Anthropologically I think we all have the capacity to be liturgically creative.
POPE LEO WILL CELEBRATE THE NEW MASS FOR THE CARE OF CREATON SHORTLY AFTER NOON TODAY. CHECK OUT THE YOUTUBE VATICAN WEBSITE
LIVE | Pope Leo XIV’s Holy Mass for the Care of Creation | September 1, 2026
EWTN Live Mass & Devotions
Scheduled for 12:20 PM Eastern Time
History of the World Day of Prayer
According to an ancient liturgical tradition of the Eastern Church, September 1st is the day symbolizing God’s act of creation of the world (“In the beginning”). Grounded in that symbolism, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church made a prophetic step in 1989: they invited all Christians to pray together on that day, offering “prayers and supplications to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection and salvation.”
Grassroots celebrations began in the 1990s, in ecumenical circles at large and Catholic communities in particular. Eventually, various episcopal bodies officially embraced the world day of prayer, such as European bishops (CCEE) in an ecumenical assembly of 1997 and the Philippine bishops in a pastoral letter of 2003. Other churches also adopted it, for example the World Council of Churches in 2002.
In 2015, at the Vatican press conference to release the Laudato Si’ encyclical, Orthodox bishop John Zizioulas was a speaker and he reminded the Catholic Church of the 1989 invitation to pray together. A few weeks later, Pope Francis officially instituted the World Day of Prayer for Creation for the universal Church.
From the Bulletin of our Local Orthodox Church
which celebrated Vespers
for the beginning of the new liturgical year last night
(the Byzantine tradition like the Jewish
begins the liturgical day at sunset of the preceding day)
Betty and I were there we brought home more texts that were used
Most of this was copied by the pastor from several links at the bottom.
“BLESS THE CROWN OF THE YEAR WITH THY GOODNESS”: A SHORT CATECHESIS ON THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW YEAR
…The festive celebration of the New Year on September 1 is testified to in the Typicon of the Great Church. On this day, the Church recalls the episode in Luke 4 that talks about how Jesus Christ read the prophecy of Isaiah about the coming of the acceptable year of the Lord (Is. 61:1-2) in the synagogue in Nazareth. In this reading, the Byzantines saw the Lord’s instruction to celebrate the New Year. … This same Gospel pericope about the preaching of Jesus Christ was read by the Patriarch in a special festive rite celebrated on September 1. This Gospel is appointed for the Divine Liturgy on September 1 in the Orthodox Church today as well.
This feast is associated with the Old Testament tradition of the feast mentioned in the book of
Leviticus: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD (Lev. 23:23-25).
According to Judaism, the first month of the calendar year is Nisan. All religious festivals are counted from it. They calculate it starting from the seventh month (Tishrei), when Rosh Hashanah—the Jewish New Year—is celebrated. It should be noted that this isn’t the only Old Testament episode connected with this feast. It was in this month that Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat (Gen. 8:4). It was in this month that Moses descended from Mt. Sinai with the tablets of the Covenant (Ex. 34:29). It was in this month that the construction of the Tabernacle of the Lord began (Ex. 35), where the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies but once a year.
There were many other, no less important episodes of sacred history. …
Creator of the universe
The troparion and kontakion [of the feast] devote special attention to some immutable truths of creation:
The Lord is the Creator of all creation: “O Fashioner of all creation, Who in Thine authority hast appointed the times and seasons.” Immutable Christian truth asserts that the world was created by God: For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible (Col. 1:16). … Then it speaks about the act of creating time. By His power, the Lord laid down and established times and years—periods, timeframes. “Bless the crown of this year with Thy goodness”
After that comes a prayerful petition with the words of King David from Psalm 64:12: Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness. St. Athanasius the Great interprets this passage thus: “The time of the coming age is called the year, and it is called the crown of goodness because in it the saints will be crowned with great grace.” This is a petition to bless the crown (from the Greek stéphanos—the completed cycle of the seasons) with the goodness and mercy of the Lord. The troparion ends with a traditional prayer request for the preservation of men—the chosen people of God, true Christians—in peace and salvation, by the prayers of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary “Who livest in the highest, Maker of all things, visible and invisible”
The kontakion of the feast begins with the words: “O Christ our King Who livest in the highest.” The royal title of the Savior signifies the teaching about the royal dignity of Christ. In Revelation, Christ is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16).The Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Maker. These synonyms are used for greater affirmation. Then the line about God’s creations continues. The fourth day of creation is recalled, when the heavenly luminaries were created: the sun, the moon, and the stars to rule the day and night (Gen. 1:14-19). The times and seasons mentioned in the troparion for the feast, as well as the petition for the blessing of the crown of the year are reflected in the kontakion, thereby calling the faithful to give special attention to the need for God’s blessing before the beginning of the New Year
With their bright imagery, the troparion and kontakion for the celebration of the Beginning of the Indiction draw attention to the majesty of God. These liturgical texts remind the faithful that He is the Creator and Maker of the visible and invisible worlds. Focusing the gaze of the faithful upon the crown of the Lord’s year, the troparion and kontakion call Orthodox Christians to ever remember that we must thank God foreverything and entreat His blessing on all our daily works, before every New Year, before every new cycle of years
MASS FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
A reading from the Book of Wisdom 13:1-9
All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?
The word of the Lord.
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians 1:15-20
Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the Body, the Church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the Blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
The word of the Lord.
911C RESPONSORIAL PSALM
1. Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5ab
R. (2a) The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge. R.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message. R.
2. Psalm 104:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c
R. (31b) May the Lord be glad in his works.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak. R.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood. R.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song. R.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—
the earth is full of your creatures;
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia. R.
1. Psalm 104:24
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
2. 1 Chronicles 29:11d, 12b
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom,
you have dominion over all.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 6:24-34
Jesus said to his disciples:
“No one can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink,
or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds in the sky;
they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are not you more important than they?
Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?
Why are you anxious about clothes?
Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.
They do not work or spin.
But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was clothed like one of them.
If God so clothes the grass of the field,
which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,
will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’
or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’
All these things the pagans seek.
Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given you besides.
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.
Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 8:23-27
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”
The Gospel of the Lord.
1. Text, Theme and Symbol
“Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will
be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes
the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. [...]
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves
will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit,
because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will
serve for food and their leaves for healing.
” (Ezek 47:9,12)
This year’s theme,
“Living Water”
, explores Ezekiel 47:9 and 12 as a
powerful biblical vision of hope and ecological healing. Set amid exile
and loss, the image of living water flowing from God’s sanctuary
reveals divine healing that renews land, water, biodiversity, and human
responsibility towards the whole creation.
The symbol depicts water flowing from the Temple of God - at first a
tiny stream that grows deeper, and deeper and as it does so, it brings
life to dead areas and restores fertility to damaged or barren
ecosystems. Through living water comes healing; but in order to
receive new life, we too must step into the water and also become part
of God’s river of life, taking part in the healing of creation.
3.Theological Overview: Ezekiel 47:1-12
Ezekiel has been describing the building of a new temple in the desert
from chapter 40 through chapter 46. This new temple is impressive but
empty and lifeless. It is only in chapter 47 that life finally appears.
In this passage, the prophet is brought in a vision to the entrance of a
future, idealized temple. From beneath its threshold flows water that
begins as a trickle and becomes an ever-deepening river - too deep to
cross. This river courses through lands once barren, transforming
deserts into fertile deltas, restoring fish, vegetation, and even healing
the salt-laden waters of the Dead Sea. The Hebrew verb šûb (“to
return”) may be imagined spatially as a turning point, comparable to a
place along the Jordan River where fish could turn back before being
carried into the lifeless waters of the Dead Sea. This notion also has a
deep theological meaning of conversion. The imagery is vibrant and
dynamic, and yet its ecological significance often gets overshadowed
by purely metaphorical readings.
In many Christian traditions, Ezekiel 47 has been read primarily as a
future eschatological promise — a depiction of the messianic age when
God dwells fully with his people and renews all things. The prophet’s
vision, however, also speaks of healing now, as well as anticipating a
broader cosmic restoration. The River of Life represents a renewal that
extends beyond human salvation to include the healing of creation
itself. The trees whose leaves are “for healing” suggest not only
physical sustenance but holistic flourishing, encompassing both
humanity and creation. Ezekiel 47:1–12 thus conveys a distinct
environmental message: one of global healing, renewal and
transformation of life. It highlights the interdependence between
humanity and the natural world, and offers a vision of hope expressed
through active care for the earth, our common home.
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