Creation Prayers
Canticle of Creation II
In the beginning, Lord my God,
You alone existed: eternally one
Yet pregnant in the fullness of unity.
Full to overflowing,
You, Father of All Life, exploded outward
In a billion bits and pieces.
Your word became flesh,
Whirling in shining stars, shimmering suns
And in genesis glimmering galaxies.
You, my God, spoke
And Your Words became flesh:
In sun and moon, earth and seas,
Mountains and gentle hills,
Rolling rivers and silent streams.
You, my God, spoke
And Your Words became flesh: in winged bird, in deer and elephant,
In grazing cow, racing horse, and fish of the deep.
Your Words, so unique and so varied,
Filled the earth also with rabbit, squirrel and ant.
And all Your Words were beautiful,
And all were good.
From each of these Holy Words
Arose a prayer of praise and adoration
To You, their Creator
And Wondrous Womb.
'Praise You," rang out the redwood,
"Blessed be You," chimed in the cedar,
"Holy are You," prayed the prairie grasses.
From all four corners of this earth,
Rose up a chorus of perpetual adoration.
O Sacred Spirit, O Divine Breath of Life,
Unseal my ears that they may ever listen
To Your continuous canticle of creation;
Open my heart and my whole self,
To sing in harmony with all its many voices.
Teach me to commune with Your first Word made flesh,
Your creation,
That I may be able to unravel the wondrous words
Of Your second Word made flesh,
Jesus,
Through whom, with whom, and in whom,
I may see myself as another Word of Yours made flesh,
To Your glory and honor.
- Author Unknown
The Canticle of the Creatures
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor, and the all blessing,
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
-St. Francis of Assisi
God Bless the World
Mighty God, Father of all,
Compassionate God, Mother of all,
Bless every person I met,
every face I have seen,
every voice I have heard,
especially those most dear;
bless every city, town and
street that I have known,
bless every sight I have seen,
every sound I have heard,
every object I have touched.
In some mysterious way these have all fashioned my life:
all that I am,
I have received.
Great God, bless the world.
-John J. Morris, S.J.
Creation Prayer
God our Father,
you created the world and sent your own Son to live among us,
made of the same stuff, breathing the same air,
marveling at sunrise and sunset just as we do.
Help us to participate in the life around and within us as your life,
as you living in us and we living in you and in each other.
God of love and life, restore us to your peace,
renew us through your power and teach us to love all that you have created and to care for the earth as your gift and our home.
- The Earth Community: In Christ through the Integrity of Creation
The Earth is the Lord's
This we know: the earth does not belong to us.
The earth is the Lord’s and so are all its people.
This we know: we did not weave the web of life.
The earth is the Lord’s and so is all that breathes on it.
This we know: we are called to till and work the earth.
The earth is the Lord’s and so are all who work the land.
This we know: that we are called to take care of creation.
The earth is the Lord’s yet we have polluted and abused it.
This we know: that whatever befalls the earth, Befalls the sons and daughters of the earth
This we know: that the earth is the Lord’s. And so we will serve Him in it.
-Bishop Eric Pike
Prayer of Gratitude for Beauty of Creation
God, our Creator of heaven and earth, how blessed we are to be surrounded by the beauty of your creation.
We lift our prayer of gratitude as we see the stars of heaven, and the beauty of the sunset.
We are amazed by the seas and waterways and all that are in them.
We are enchanted by the flowers and trees which are clothed by you.
We are awed by all the animals you created.
For the beauty of the earth, the mountains and valleys, the sun and the moon – we give you praise.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
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