by Vincent Ojwang | Aug 20, 2024 | International Days, SEASON OF CREATION
“To Hope and Act with Creation”.
Welcome to this year’s Season of Creation.
Each year, from 1 September to 4 October, the Christian family unites in this global celebration of prayer and action to respond together to the cry of Creation: the ecumenical family around the world comes together to listen and care for our common home, God’s Oikos.
It is a special season where we celebrate God as Creator and acknowledge Creation as the ongoing divine act that calls us as co-workers to love and care for the gift of all creation. As followers of Christ from around the world, we share a common call to care for Creation. Our well-being is interwoven with the well-being of the Earth.
We rejoice in this opportunity to safeguard our common home and all beings who share it. Amid the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, many are beginning to despair and suffer eco-anxiety. As people of faith, we are called to lift up the hope that inspires our faith, the hope of resurrection. This is not a hope without action, but a hope embodied in concrete actions of prayer and preaching, service and solidarity.
This season, we are also joining our Christian voices through a joint advocacy initiative in support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty that calls for a halt to new fossil fuel projects.
Join this common effort of the Christian family through the three actions proposed for this season of creation:
On September 1, the Feast of Creation, for which we offer a prayer that you can use in both religious and lay communities.
On September 21, we will have a day of action for advocacy: It will be a day of action to support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FFNPT). The 79th Session of the UN General Assembly will take place from 10-24 September and it is in this context that Christians, as a global family, will raise our voices and show how faith communities can be powerful agents of justice and hope around the world.
On October 4, we will celebrate St Francis of Assisi: this day is his feast day and the last day of the Season of Creation. People of faith from all over the world will gather in an online prayer service prepared by the Ecumenical Youth Committee of the Season of Creation to celebrate together our month-long journey.
by Vincent Ojwang | Jul 31, 2024 | INTERNATIONAL DAY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 2024
On August 9, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples is commemorated, which seeks to promote inclusion, equality and respect towards these communities. Today there are more than 476 million indigenous people in approximately 90 countries around the world, who represents only 5% of the world’s population, and the majority are in a highly vulnerable situation.
On this occasion, the prayer has been prepared by the JPIC team of Lay Claretians for the entire Claretian family. Let us make this day a moment of prayer and reflection for our communities. Fraternal greetings.
by Vincent Ojwang | Apr 8, 2024 | Mother Earth Day
On 22 April we remember International Mother Earth Day. She is our home, and we have a special relationship with her as a mother. This is not just an intellectual concept, but an emotional and relational concept. It is also a concept that has its roots in indigenous cultures that help us to promote harmony with the rest of creation.
We offer below the materials prepared by the JPIC team of Cordimarian Filiation (Filiación Cordimariana), that as you know they are consecrated ladies living in the world. The design and publication was done by our Claretian brother Vincent Ojwang, one of our Cyber Missionaries. We are so grateful to all of them!
Happy Mother Earth Day!
by Vincent Ojwang | Mar 10, 2024 | International Day of Water
22 March 2024, One of the effects of the triple environmental crisis is the scarcity of water for human consumption and for the sustainability of the environment. That is aggravated by the over-use that some human activities such as mining and agriculture make of it.
There are already many communities that are being affected by this problem, and many species that disappear or are forced to move in search of this precious good with all the consequences that this entails.
This is undoubtedly an important day to pray for the most vulnerable brothers and sisters and nature, and above all for a fair distribution of water. We also make ourselves more aware of a problem that affects us all and in which we can all do something.
As a Claretian family, we want to share this file in which you will find materials to pray as well as information about the origin of this international day and the problem of water. We thank the Lay Claretian who have lovingly prepared this theme for the entire Claretian family.
As usual, you can find the file translated into 5 Languages.
by iClaret | Feb 19, 2024 | International Day of Women
On March 8, 2024, we will celebrate the International Women’s Day. A very special day for the Claretian family and for all humanity. We are all called to contribute to gender equality.
This time the prayer-reflection has been prepared by the Missionary Sisters of St. Anthony Mary Claret (MSAMC) for the whole Claretian family. We thank them for their efforts.
As in the past, we offer you the document in five languages, which you will find below.
Happy International Women’s Day!
by tagapangasiwa | Feb 8, 2024 | Day Against Human Trafficking
St. JOSEPHINE BAKHITA
We offer a prayer and reflection on human trafficking, made by the Claretian sisters (RMI) for the Claretian family, on the occasion of the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita. The material is translated into 5 languages for pastoral or liturgical use.
