Our Common Home, Our Shared Responsibility
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Updated: 1 day ago
Laudato Si’, Mi’ Signore — Praise Be to You, My Lord
Season of Creation 2026
“Let them have dominion over… all the wild animals of the earth.”
(Genesis 1:26)
From the beginning, Scripture gives humanity a special place within creation. This dominion is a responsibility to care for what God has entrusted to us, not simply an ownership of it. As Genesis reminds us, we are called “to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
We are called to be stewards of God’s creation.
This is at the heart of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’—recognising creation as God’s gift and caring for our common home and for one another.
The Season of Creation
Each year, from 1 September to 4 October, the Church celebrates the Season of Creation—a time to pray, reflect and renew our commitment to caring for our common home.
This year is especially meaningful as we mark 800 years since the passing of St Francis of Assisi, whose deep love and wonder for creation continue to inspire us.
It is a time to pause, reflect and give thanks for the world around us, while becoming more aware of our relationship with God, one another and our common home.
Care for Creation is more than caring for the environment. It is an invitation to live our faith, recognise God’s gifts and encounter Christ in daily life. The title Laudato Si’, meaning “Praise Be to You”, comes from St Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures. Inspired by his love and wonder for creation, Pope Francis chose these words for his 2015 encyclical on care for our common home. Through Laudato Si’, he invites us to recognise the interconnectedness of creation and our shared responsibility to care for it with gratitude, responsibility and love.
The Season of Creation invites us to cultivate something of that same spirit.
We are All Connected
Our relationship with creation is closely connected to our relationship with one another.
Environmental challenges can affect people's health, food, homes and livelihoods, particularly those who are poor and vulnerable. Floods, droughts, extreme weather, pollution and water shortages can have consequences far beyond the environment itself.
Indiscriminate deforestation Garbage Pollution
When we care for our common home, we are also caring for our neighbours—including people we may never meet, both today and in generations to come.
To care for creation is to
care for one another.
This is at the heart of Laudato Si’:
we are one human family,
sharing one common home.
Closer to Home: What We Are Already Doing
Care for Creation is not something completely new to our parish.
Sometimes it begins not by doing something new, but by recognising what is already part of our ordinary parish life and seeing it in a new light.
At St Bernadette’s Parish Thrift Shop, pre-loved items are given a second life. By encouraging reuse and sharing what we already have, the Thrift Shop offers a simple reminder to be mindful of what we consume and discard.
Our parish canteen also makes simple efforts to minimise waste, such as using reusable crockery and avoiding disposable food containers where possible.
Within our parish grounds, the trees, greenery and large open field provide spaces to pause, rest and appreciate the beauty of the natural world—a quiet reminder of the gift of creation.
These simple actions remind us that caring for creation can be part of how we live our faith each day.
Care for Creation Begins with Awareness
When we hear “Care for Creation”, we may think about recycling, reducing waste or using less. These things have their place, but Laudato Si’ invites us to look deeper.
Care for Creation can begin with awareness and gratitude—recognising the gifts around us: the food we receive, the water we use, the trees that give us shade, the beauty of nature and the people with whom we share our lives.
When we become more attentive to these gifts, we may begin to see everyday life differently. We may appreciate what we have rather than take it for granted and become more aware of our relationship with God, one another and the world around us.
Living Laudato Si’ in Our Daily Lives
This awareness can begin to shape how we live each day. A simple way is to:
Notice | Give Thanks | Choose with Greater Care
This simple rhythm can help us become more attentive to God’s presence in the ordinary.
St Francis of Assisi looked at the sun, moon, water, earth and creatures around him with wonder and praise. His Canticle of the Creatures reminds us that creation can lead us beyond itself— to the One who created it.
In the same way, becoming more attentive to creation can open our hearts to encounter Christ in daily life. When we pause to notice God’s gifts, we may also become more aware of His goodness, generosity and presence.
Pause and reflect: Where might Christ be inviting you to notice, give thanks andcare for creation today? |
A Season to Pause and Discover
During the Season of Creation, from 1 September to 4 October, our parish invites us to pause, reflect, learn and discover more about our call to care for creation.
Mass for the Care of Creation
Tuesday, 1 September | 6.30pm
We begin the Season with the Church’s special Mass for the Care of Creation, giving thanks for God’s gift of creation and renewing our call to care faithfully for what He has entrusted to us.
Throughout the season, parishioners will also encounter Care for Creation intentions in the Prayers of the Faithful, bulletin reflections and related resources, with opportunities to learn more about Laudato Si’.
Creation and the Franciscan Vision
St Francis of Assisi: A Conversion That Speaks to the World Today
Friday, 2 October | 8.00–9.30pm | Parish Hall
St Francis of Assisi & the Canticle of the Creatures
Friday, 9 October | 8.00–9.30pm | Parish Hall
Join Fr Joe Nathan OFM as he explores the Franciscan vision of God, creation and human fraternity. He will also bring St Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures into conversation with Homer’s Odyssey, exploring themes of two very different visions of our human journey, longing, identity and our place in creation.
For more information, visit our News & Events Page.
Called to Care for Our Common Home
The Season of Creation is not about having all the answers or making major commitments. It is an invitation to pause, notice and give thanks.
As we become more attentive to the gifts around us, we may also become more aware of God’s presence and the needs of those around us. From this awareness, we may discover simple ways to care for creation, one another and our common home.
As a parish, we are continuing to learn and discern how we can grow in this journey. May this Season of Creation open our eyes to God’s gifts, our hearts to one another, and our hands to care for what has been entrusted to us.
Reflection Question: What is one small way you can care for our common home today? |
If you feel called to do more for our common home, click here
and let’s explore the journey together.
For those who would like to explore further:
