Laudato si’ Year Prayer, 2020-2021, by Pope Francis – See Here
Prayer to Bless a Saint Kateri Habitat, Parish Ark, or Catholic Garden:
O God, our Creator and Sustainer,
We gather in this sacred space,
Dedicated to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha,
Flower of the Wilderness [or Lily of the Mohawks], Patroness of the Environment.
Bless this garden [or other habitat], we pray,
As a place of beauty and tranquility,
A reminder of your wondrous creation,
And a sign of our stewardship of the Earth.
May the plants and creatures that dwell here
Reflect your glory and diversity,
And may they flourish in harmony,
Sustained by your providence.
As we tend to this garden [or other habitat], Lord,
Help us to cultivate not only the soil
But also the virtues of patience, love, and care,
Which Saint Kateri exemplified in her life.
Grant that, like her, we may be attentive
To the needs of the natural world,
And may we work diligently to protect it,
For the sake of future generations.
We ask for Saint Kateri’s intercession,
That her spirit of reverence for all life
May guide our efforts and inspire in us
A deeper love for your creation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we pray.
Amen.
Prayer to Care for Our Common Home
Father of all,
Creator and ruler of the universe
You entrusted your world to us as a gift.
Help us to care for it and all people,
that we may live in right relationship-
with You,
with ourselves,
with one another,
and with creation.
Christ our Lord,
both divine and human,
You lived among us and died for our sins.
Help us to imitate your love for the human family
by recognizing that we are all connected—
to our brothers and sisters around the world,
to those in poverty impacted by environmental devastation,
and to future generations.
Holy Spirit,
giver of wisdom and love,
You breathe life in us and guide us.
Help us to live according to your vision,
stirring to action the hearts of all—
individuals and families,
communities of faith,
and civil and political leaders.
Triune God,
help us to hear the cry of those in poverty,
and the cry of the earth,
so that we may together care for our common home.
Amen.
+ This prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is based on Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’
A Prayer for Our Earth
All-powerful God,
your are present in the whole universe,
in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty,
not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.
+ From Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’
A Christian Prayer in Union With Creation
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love.
Praise be to you!
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother,
you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes.
Today you are alive in every creature in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!
Holy Spirit,
by your light you guide this world towards the Father’s love
and accompany creation as it groans in travail.
You also dwell in our hearts
and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you!
Triune Lord,
wondrous community of infinite love,
teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined
to everything that is.
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good,
advance the weak,
and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
+ From Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’
Canticle of the Sun
by St. Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology
Translation from the original Italian
Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy
To pronounce your name.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us
through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather’s moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
so useful, lowly, precious, and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful he is, how joyful! Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits and colored flowers and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.
The Canticle of Brother Son
by St. Francis of Assisi, Patron of Ecology (1182-1226)
This English translation was made from the most ancient Italian text identified by Fr. K. Esser, p. 157. For a biblical parallel, cf. Dan. 3:17,23,51-90 and Psalm 148. Punctuation and the arrangement of fourteen verses follows that of the original Italian. The translation of the Italian per into English as “for” has been retained, despite K. Esser’s translation of the same into Latin as propter; cf. Note on Latin terms at the beginning of this work.
Most High, Omnipotent, Good Lord,
Thine be the praises, the glory, and the honor and every blessing (cf. Apoc. 4:9.11).
To Thee alone, Most High, do they belong
and no man is worthy to mention Thee.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, with all Thy creatures (cf. Tob. 8:7),
especially mister brother sun,
of whom is the day, and Thou enlightens us through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant with a great splendor,
of Thee, Most High, does he convey the meaning.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for 4 sister moon and the stars (cf. Ps. 148:3),
in heaven Thou has made them clear and precious and beautiful.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for brother wind,
and for the air and the cloudy and the clear weather and every weather (cf. Dan 3:64-65), through which to all Thy creatures Thou gives sustenance (cf. Ps. 103:13-14).
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for sister water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for brother fire (cf. Dan 3:66),
through whom Thou illumines the night,
and he is handsome and jocund and robust and strong.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for our sister, mother earth, (cf. Dan 3:74)
who sustains us and governs,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and green plants (cf. Ps 103:13-14).
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for those who forgive for the sake of Thy love 5 (cf. Mt 6:12),
and endure infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed those who endure them in peace (cf. Mt 5:10),
because by Thee, Most High, will they be crowned.
May Thou be praised, my Lord, for our sister, bodily death,
whom no man living can escape.
Woe to those, who die in mortal sin: 6
blessed those whom she 7 will find in Thy most holy desires,
because the second death will do them no evil (cf. Apoc 2:11; 20:6).
Praise and bless my Lord (cf. Dan 3:85),
and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility!
FOOTNOTES
4 For a more recent discussion of the use of per (“for”) in this Canticle, cf. K. Esser, p. 159, n.33.
5 The Italian here reads per lo tuo amore. This last word is the equivalent of the Latin term amor, cf. Note on Latin terms at the beginning of this work.
6 cf. 1 Jn 16:17.
7 Sister, bodily death.
8 cf. 2 Celano 49; St. Bonaventure, Legenda maior, XI,9.
Prayer of the Christian Farmer (or Gardener)
O God, Source and Giver of all things, Who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness in the earth about us, we give You honor and glory.
For the sun and rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields, for the increase of our herds and flocks we thank You. For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace, we are grateful.
Supreme Lord of the harvest, graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil, in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for our sins, for the growth of Your Church, for peace and charity in our homes, for salvation to all. Amen.
Prayer Source: Novena in Honor of Saint Isidore: Patron of Farmers by National Catholic Rural Life Conference
Prayer of a Rural Family
Wise and compassionate God, accept this our prayer;
Sheltered from storm and darkness, under this roof,
This family kneels to adore You.
For the day just past,
For keeping us safely, body and soul,
Now we most humbly Thank You.
For hilltops and verdure,
For sunlight and wind and boundless space,
For rain and sky’s rich color,
For boughs and blossoms and cold clean snow,
We are eternally grateful.
For birds and beasts,
For the good black earth and the seeds producing
The plenteous harvest; for times without number
When we have eaten of that same harvest,
We thank You and bless You forever.
Deliver us safely, if such be Your will,
From deluge and drought,
From famine and war and disaster.
Give us tomorrow, as yesterday and today.
All things most needed for rightful living;
And move our hearts that we may have sorrow
For sinning against You.
God of the hearth and the harvest,
Your children, here kneeling, adore You.
Bless now our rest
And cherish us safe till the morrow.
Prayer Source: Novena in Honor of Saint Isidore: Patron of Farmers by National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Catholic Rural Life Conference