Spiritual Reflection

Peace With Creation

With the upcoming Season of Creation, we are invited to reflect deeply on this year's profound theme: Peace with Creation. This theme resonates powerfully with the spirit of the Jubilee Year, which is a time of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Just as the Jubilee calls us to mend our relationships with God and one another, "Peace with Creation" urges us to restore harmony with our common home.

The Season of Creation begins on 1 September 2025 with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, a day established by Pope Francis to encourage the Catholic community worldwide to pray for our planet.

The symbol for the Season of Creation 2025 is the "Garden of Peace", which invites us to imagine a garden, not merely as a place of beauty, but as a living testament to peace—a place where every element, from the smallest seed to the tallest tree, thrives in interconnectedness and balance. This image serves as a powerful reminder of the peace that is possible when humanity lives in right relationship with creation. As educators, we cultivate minds and hearts, much like a gardener tends to a garden. We plant seeds of knowledge, nurture growth, and strive to create an environment where our students can flourish. This Season of Creation, let us consider how we can extend this nurturing spirit to the wider creation, fostering a sense of peace and stewardship in our classrooms and beyond.

The concept of "Peace with Creation" is deeply rooted in biblical wisdom, drawing inspiration from passages such as Isaiah 32:14-18 which speaks of a time when "justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace…” This vision of peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but a flourishing of justice and righteousness that extends to all of creation.

The Jubilee Year has always been a time of abundant remission and pardon of sins and a call to conversion. This spirit of reconciliation and renewal is precisely what Peace with Creation calls us to embrace. Our actions, both individually and collectively, have impacted creation, and this season offers us an opportunity for repentance and a renewed commitment to ecological conversion.

As people who work in schools, we have a unique opportunity to instill in our students a profound respect for creation and a desire to live in peace with it. We can guide them to understand that caring for our planet is not just an environmental issue, but a moral and spiritual imperative.

Questions for Reflection:

How can I integrate the theme of "Peace with Creation" into my lessons and classroom activities?

What small, tangible actions can I take in my daily life to foster peace with creation?

How can I inspire my students to become stewards of our common home, recognising their role in the larger "Garden of Peace"?