Homily on Care for Creation: St. James Cathedral, September 6, 2025
Archbishop Paul D. Etienne, DD, STL
God as Creator
1,700 years ago, at The First Council of Nicaea (325 AD) the council Fathers affirmed God as Creator. This doctrine is enshrined in the Nicene Creed: ‘We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker (Creator) of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.’ This foundational belief calls us to recognize the divine origin of all creation and our responsibility to honor it.
Season of Creation
While present day efforts to call attention to the impact human activity is having on creation has taken on strong political overtones, when we as Church speak of care for creation, we do so from this standpoint of faith which recognizes God as Creator. Thus, The Season of Creation which we observed from September 1 to October 4, beginning with the World Day of Prayer for Creation and ending on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi is primarily a call for prayer, reflection, and action to protect and better care for all that God has created.
Psalms of Creation
One only needs to look to the Psalms to hear poetic reflections on God’s creative power:
– Psalm 8:3–4: ‘When I look at your heavens, the work of your hands (O God), the moon and the stars which you arranged, what are human beings that you are mindful of them?’
– Psalm 19:1: ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’
– Psalm 33:6–9: ‘By the word of the Lord the heavens were made…’
This annual celebration of God’s creation is a call to open our eyes to the impact our own actions and habits have upon nature. I remember when the coal burning power plants were built from the mid-1960’s through early 1970’s in Kentucky across the Ohio River from where I grew up. The pecan tress stopped bearing fruit and my granddad instinctively knew it was because of those power plants. Sure enough, once they were decommissioned in 2020, the pecan trees once again began bearing fruit!
Much closer to home, I notice that during Seattle Seafare, once the jets start flying, the hydroplanes begin racing and the crowds gather, the eagles depart and are not seen again for weeks! Our human activity impacts creation. I often wonder if it is truly good for the human family to live in such highly populated areas, especially in such beautiful parts of Gods creation? Are we being good stewards of all that God created, properly interacting with creation, or simply pursuing our human desires and appetites without counting the ecological cost?
Pope Francis in his ground-breaking encyclical Laudato Si called for an ecological conversion. What did he mean by this?
It seems that ecological conversion is simply taking stock of the devastating impact of our human activity – being honest about it – and begin taking steps to change – conversion – to be better stewards of what has been entrusted to us.
Are we humble enough to confess our sins against creation? Are we honest enough to see how even today we are still polluting the earth? Can we see the connection between every time we order something online for immediate delivery as wasting resources and is a participation in excessive consumerism? This season of creation calls us to a renewed spirit of humility and responsibility and invites us to be instruments of healing and hope.
Teachings of Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV has emphasized care for creation as a Christian vocation. In his first months, he inaugurated the Borgo Laudato Si’ eco-center and celebrated the first Mass for the Care of Creation. Pope Leo teaches that creation reflects the face of Christ and that stewardship is a duty born of faith. He states: “Care of creation represents a true vocation for every human being… we are creatures among creatures, and not creators.”
This year for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, Pope Leo writes:
In proclaiming the Kingdom of God, Jesus often used the image of the seed. As the time of his Passion drew near, he applied that image to himself, comparing himself to the grain of wheat that must die in order to bear fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). Seeds are buried in the earth, and there, to our wonder, life springs up, even in the most unexpected places, pointing to the promise of new beginnings. …
In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed, “seeds of peace and hope.”
Called to Discipleship
In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be his followers. He is honest about the cost of being his disciples. We are called to renounce many things to follow Jesus. This season of creation calls us to examine our lives to see where such renunciation is required to be better stewards of creation, to more faithfully follow and serve Christ and God’s human family.
I will close with one more personal story.
Thirty years ago I purchased some land in southern Indiana along with one of my brothers. It is primarily hardwood forest and we have been learning over the years about best practices for timber management. I recall the first walk through of the forest we made with our forester. He taught us many things that day.
At the end of the day, knowing both of us were priests, he told us: “One thing to remember. Growing trees is a lot like preaching. It takes a long time until you see results.”
My friends, God the Creator is quite patient, with you and me and with all of creation. But, we must faithfully listen to the voice of Jesus and strive to allow the life he has planted in us to grow. We must cooperate to the best of our ability to allow the life he has redeemed in us to bear good fruit.
May the fruits of the earth, the bread and wine we now consecrate to become the Body and Blood of Jesus nourish the life of the Risen Lord within us. Let us be mindful that the bread and wine we place upon this altar carry with them the gifts of our lives which are symbolized by the gifts we offer. As the collection is taken up, we symbolically place our lives on the altar to be changed along with the bread and wine into the Body of Christ as well. May this wonderous work of Redemption which continues until the end of time allow us to grow into the human family of God’s design and desire.
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