Season of Creation: A Harvest in Ordinary Time

"Ordinary time" offers the opportunity to change everyday habits for the benefit of our brothers and sisters.

By Mark McDermott

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Welcome to the Season of Creation! This nondescript segment in ordinary time seems out of place in the fall compared to springtime Earth Day and Easter celebrations of nature. But the timing of the Season of Creation is an invitation, not a mistake. If Lent sowed the seeds of change in our faith, its growth was nourished by Easter and Pentecost. This season is a reminder to harvest that growth to share with our human family.

The Season of Creation manifests this fact through Christian unity: it originates in the Orthodox Church, where Patriarch Dimitrios I declared a Day of Prayer for Creation on September 1st, 1989. The World Council of Churches extended the season to St. Francis’ feast on October 4th. Pope Francis officially proclaimed the Season of Creation for the Catholic Church in 2015, the same year he released the encyclical Laudato Si’ on “Care for our Common Home.”

This year, when differences between groups appear so stark, it may be helpful to remember that we are all branches growing from the vine of our planet. Whether or not others share our faith or our commitment to nature, we cannot cut ourselves off from that vine just to spite them. If we set ourselves apart from Creation, we deny our own source of life and the vitality we give back to others on the vine.

Let this Season of Creation be a call to everyday stewardship during this stretch of ordinary time in the liturgical year. Spending more time in nature can allow God’s presence to refresh the body and soul through the miracle of this world. In nature, plants and animals consume only what they need; trusting in God to provide, we can strive to do likewise. Choosing causes or candidates to support can seem impossible; we can instead support organizations like Catholic Relief Services that clearly and directly serve the poor and the environment. In place of typical entertainment or social media, consider documentaries (see TheLetterFilm.org) or following groups like CRS to develop empathy and take actions that aid those impacted by environmental change.

The Season of Creation invites us to change habits we may not otherwise question. This Season of Creation challenges us to connect to our brothers and sisters by harvesting even our ordinary time in stewardship of the gift of nature we all share.