Tuesday

1

Creator Spirit, we thank You for this beautiful world with its amazing variety of animals and plants. May we never forget that we are stewards of Your Creation and that we hold it in trust for future generations. Help us to respect the earth’s rich diversity and to share with each other and all living creatures in responsible ways; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

Wednesday

2

     “All things bright and beautiful
     All creatures great and small
     All things wise and wonderful
     The Lord god made them all”

The rising of the sun and early dawn – the joy and peace of a brand new day
The stirring of the birds and insects and rustling of the leaves in trees.
The whisper of the Almighty.
The stirring of humans and their cacophony of sounds – Their clash with nature
How will we respond to our planet’s new day – today?

Dear Lord, please show us how to care for your magnificent give of creation.

Diana Murray
St Michael & All Angels Eco-quiet morning

Thursday

3

Friday

4

“If we approach nature and the environment without openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously.”

Pope Francis

Saturday

5

“Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Jeremiah 33:2-3

Sunday

6

Father of Creation, we thank you for all that you have made;
For the joy and glimpses of you we find in nature’s beauty,
For the variety of all you have provided through its resources.
Help us to tread lightly and use wisely,
Valuing the needs of others, and of creation, above our own desires.
Challenge us where we need to change our lifestyles,
Convict us when we need to speak out on behalf of a voiceless people, or the world
And soften us where we have stood in judgement of others.
Father in your mercy, change us and use us
For the restoration of your world, and the protection of all your children.
Amen.

Monday

7

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Luke 13:6-9

Tuesday

8

Prayer for Social Justice

Almighty and eternal God,
may your grace enkindle in all persons a love of the many unfortunate people
whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition of life unworthy of human beings.
Arouse in the hearts of those who call you God
a hunger and thirst for social justice and for fraternal charity in deeds and in truth.
Grant, O Lord, peace in our days, peace to souls, peace to our community
and peace among nations.
Amen.

Pope Pius XII

Wednesday

9

“Within the grip of winter, it is almost impossible to imagine the spring. The grey perished landscape is shorn of colour. Only bleakness meets the eye; everything seems severe and edged. Winter is the oldest season; it has some quality of the absolute. Yet beneath the surface of winter, the miracle of spring is already in preparation; the cold is relenting; seeds are wakening up. Colours are beginning to imagine how they will return. Then, imperceptibly, somewhere one bud opens and the symphony of renewal is no longer reversible. From the black heart of winter a miraculous, breathing plenitude of colour emerges.

John O’donohue
From his book ‘To Bless the Space Between Us’ (US) / Benedictus (Europe)

Thursday

10

Sovereign Lord of all nations, we pray for all who are called to leadership in the affairs of the world. Give them the vision to see far into the crucial issues of our time, courage to uphold what they believe to be right, and integrity in their words and motives. May their service to their peoples promote the welfare and peace of all humankind, through the strength of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord

Friday

11

The Natural World

John Dear invites us into a peaceful, nonviolent way of living with creation:

To grow in deeper, loving awareness of our sisters and brothers, the beautiful creatures, and wonders of creation, we practice the art of mindfulness. That means we try not to live in the past or stew over the future. We give ourselves to the present moment of peace and return to the gentleness of our breath as a way to return to the present moment, the eternal now. The Buddhists teach mindful living, mindful eating, mindful walking, mindful working. Every moment becomes an opportunity to step into the present moment of peace.

“We are speaking of an attitude of the heart,” Pope Francis writes, “one which approaches life with serene attentiveness, which is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, which accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full. Jesus taught us this attitude when he invited us to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, or when seeing the rich young man and knowing his restlessness, ‘he looked at him with love’ (Mk 10:21). He was completely present to everyone and to everything, and in this way, he showed us the way to overcome that unhealthy anxiety which makes us superficial, aggressive and compulsive consumers.”

Putting on the mind of the nonviolent Christ and practicing his nonviolence, we learn to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. When he rose from the dead, he gave his friends the gift of resurrection peace, breathed on them, and said receive the Holy Spirit. He sent them on a global mission of peace and nonviolence. We try to follow Jesus by welcoming that gift of resurrection peace, breathing in his Holy Spirit, and walking in his footsteps in his kingdom of nonviolence. In that mindfulness, everyone shines like the sun.

We recognize every human being as a sister and brother, every creature as a gift from God, and Mother Earth as a treasure to be honoured and cared for. We too learn to walk mindfully on earth in the present moment of peace. As we do, we not only non-cooperate with injustice and environmental destruction, model gospel nonviolence, and seek justice and peace for everyone, we help everyone step into the present moment of peace, the kingdom of God. Along the way, we discover that we have already entered eternal life. Eternity has begun. We are here, on earth, in the peaceful presence of the Creator.

Richard Rohr
Centre for Action and Contemplation
(cac.org)

Saturday

12

Sunday

13

Creator God, we pray for our community.
We ask you the courage to act regarding our environment and not to succumb to the temptation of wasting.
Creator God, we bring our prayer to you.

Monday

14

World Shark Awareness Day

“Recently, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end the procurement and forced use of paper straws, essentially paving the way to reintroduce plastic straws, commenting that he didn’t think that “plastic straws are going to affect a shark as they’re munching their way through the ocean. ….”. 

However, that comment about sharks is not true as the impact of plastic on sharks (and all ocean dwellers is dire.  There is video evidence of whales playing with bits of plastic; turtles entangled in plastic fishing nets and albatross chicks that had eaten so much plastic they were just dying.  Shark Scientist, Kristian Parton, wrote the Scientific research on anthropogenic pollution (Global review of shark and ray entanglement in anthropogenic marine debris) that debunks Donald Trump’s claim that plastic doesn’t affect sharks.

Plastic tends to impact marine species in two different ways – ingestion of it or entanglement within it .  Some marine species may be more predisposed to one of those two impacts and others are heavily impacted by both of them.  Through thorough and systematic research, Parton found that over 120 different cases of shark or ray entanglement, impacting over a thousand individual animals. 

Marine animals are impacted by plastic debris coming from humans:

• plastic package strapping bands from crates
• elastic bands
• plastic rings from beer cans
• polythene plastic bags
• polypropylene ropes
• plastic fishing rope

In one recorded case, a shark had been entangled in plastic fishing rope for so long that barnacles had started to grow on the rope and the shark itself had started to grow while being restricted by that rope so much so that it had caused scoliosis of its spine which had basically started to twist and distort it.  The vast majority of individuals entangled died as a result.

While entanglement wasn’t happening at high enough rates to cause huge population declines for sharks, it is absolutely an animal welfare issue that causes needless pain and suffering to individual animals, and is an issue that we, as humans, have the ability to stop.

Parton noted that the true number of sharks and rays impacted by plastic pollution is likely to be far higher than the evidence shows, as few studies have focussed on plastic entanglement among shark and rays. Parton and other shark scientists have been working with The Shark Trust to create a public online reporting tool for entanglement sightings called the Shark and Ray Entanglement Network (Sh.a.R.E.N) in order to gather more much needed research.

There is no question that sharks are being negatively impacted by entanglement all around the world and it’s causing them needless harm and suffering.  It is unlikely sharks are being entangled by plastic straws, but they absolutely could be ingesting them In the form of microplastics.

In another paper on microplastic ingestion, Parton found that 70% of sharks sampled had evidence of microplastic ingestion – over 2/3 of this microplastic was polypropylene (the main component of plastic straws!)  Polypropylene, of course, is used in a variety of different plastic materials, but at some point, sharks have ingested polypropylene microplastics that originally derived from a plastic straw! 

Damage that microplastic ingestion can do is endless – if it’s sharp enough and big enough it can cause lacerations to their stomach linings or their intestinal tracts.  It can also cause false satiation (an animal feels like it’s full and doesn’t eat its normal food, so starves to death.)  A wide array of toxic chemicals and additives can be released into the animal’s body after microplastics have been ingested which negatively impacts on the endocrine systems, immune systems and reproductive systems.

Something as simple as plastic straw being thrown away and then breaking down into smaller pieces in the marine environment can cause serious harm inside a shark’s (and all other marine animals) body.”

So the message is clear – if you HAVE to use a straw – make sure that it’s not going to impact other creatures.  You choosing to NOT use that plastic straw can make a difference to the lives of marine birds, whales, seals, dolphins, turtles and sharks – just as deciding not to use that plastic bag or not buy that six-pack can of beers with the plastic ring that holds them together, does …… and of course always recycle plastic responsibly.

Taken from Transcript of “Shark Bytes” episode – Scientist DEBUNKS Donald Trump Plastic Straw Lie – (16 February 2025) – recommended viewing

Tuesday

15

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”

John Muir

Wednesday

16

World Snake Day

World Snake Day is celebrated around the world in an effort to raise awareness about these misunderstood creatures.

Snakes are vital to South African ecosystems, playing key roles in regulating populations of rodents, frogs, and lizards.  They also serve as a food source for other animals, contributing to the flow of energy and nutrients in ecosystems.  They are also prey for larger animals, helping to maintain a balanced predator-prey relationship.

Snake conservation efforts in South Africa focus on a multi-pronged approach, including research, education, and community involvement to mitigate human-snake conflict and promote harmonious coexistence. Organizations like Save The Snakes and play a crucial role in these efforts, providing education, research, and practical solutions for snake-related issues.  Snake venom has medical applications, and understanding snake biology can lead to new treatments for various diseases. 

Snake Education and Community Awareness Program (SECAP) is an initiative born from the partnership between Save The Snakes and the Hoedspruit Reptile Centre.  Their goal is to engage and educate learners, healthcare workers and members of rural communities about snakes and snakebite, create more awareness about snakes that are found in the greater Kruger to Canyon Biosphere Region, and how we can live in harmony with them. Organisations like SANBI and the African Snakebite Institute collaborate on projects such as the Reptile Atlas project and other research initiatives help to understand snake distribution, conservation status, and threats to their populations. 

Saving endangered species is a huge challenge, even when the animal in question is a much-loved one. Now consider the problem of protecting a species that can inspire dread in many people. Albany adders, a species of dwarf adder (only reaching about 25 cm fully grown,) are some of the most highly endangered snake species in South Africa.  These highly venomous snakes are only known from a single small area in the mixed thicket and shrub landscape of the Coega Bontveld habitat near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). This dense, wild landscape provides a perfect home for these snakes. Unfortunately, it’s also being extensively strip-mined for limestone pavement. And the snakes themselves are poached for the pet trade.  Also on the Endangered species list are the Rock Python and the Gaboon Adder. 

While long-term monitoring efforts are needed, research on species like the rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus) provides insights into potential population declines and informs conservation strategies. 

The African Snakebite Institute offers various courses on snake awareness, first aid for snakebite, and venomous snake handling, empowering individuals to safely interact with snakes.  The Institute also has a free downloadable app for snake identification.  The app also includes first aid information, snake identification features, snake removals information, free snake posters, and more. (also available on Google Playstore.)

There is no doubt that snakes (whether we like them or not) play a significant role in the balance of eco-systems and biodiversity as a whole.

Reassess your negative feelings about these special and indispensable creatures! … God made them too! ….

Thursday

17

Father, we pray for you to raise up a generation of leaders with the courage to take responsibility for our changing climate, and the part we have played in it.

Father, we intercede for our politicians and leaders – cause them to act in the best interests of all nations today, and all peoples’ in the future, in order to avoid catastrophic changes.

Father, we ask for a generation of leaders who will be willing to act justly so that those who have contributed so little to the problems we are facing, and have fewer resources with which to face it, are not left to shoulder our burden.

Father, we ask for you to fill the hearts of all who lead rich nations – give them your mercy and compassion on poor countries already suffering the effects of a changing climate.

Just as they have been moved to cancel debt in the past, encourage them also to release funds so that poor communities can adapt to the effects of climate change, and develop cleanly.

Lord, in your mercy, lead our leaders to truth and transformation.

Friday

18

Nelson Mandela Day

No matter how small your action, Mandela Day is about changing the world for the better, just as Nelson Mandela did every day.

• What are you doing to make the world a better place?
• What are you doing to make every day a Mandela Day by taking action against poverty which ultimately benefits the environment?

Saturday

19

Sunday

20

A Prayer for our Earth

All-powerful God,
you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day. Amen.

Monday

21

“The history of the universe and nature is being told to us by the stars, by the Earth, by the uprising and elevation of the mountains, by the animals, the woods and jungles, and by the rivers.”

Leonardo Boff
Brazilian theologian, philosopher writer, and former Catholic priest

Tuesday

22

Isaiah 24:1-4 (The Message)

The Landscape Will Be a Moonscape

24 ^1-3 Danger ahead! God’s about to ravish the earth
    and leave it in ruins,
Rip everything out by the roots
    and send everyone scurrying:
        priests and laypeople alike,
        owners and workers alike,
        celebrities and nobodies alike,
        buyers and sellers alike,
        bankers and beggars alike,
        the haves and have-nots alike.
The landscape will be a moonscape,
    totally wasted.
And why? Because God says so.
    He’s issued the orders.

⁴ The earth turns gaunt and grey,
    the world silent and sad,
    sky and land lifeless, colourless.

Wednesday

23

How Great Thou Art

How Great Thou Art (1885) Inspired by the Creation — “Carl Bobert, a Swede, was walking home from church and listening to the church’s bells in 1885. A sudden, awe-inspiring storm gripped his attention, and then just as suddenly as it arrived, it subsided to a calm. After watching this display of nature, he went home and penned this poem. He published it in 1886, then it was matched to a Swedish folk tune in 1888, and then translated into German in 1907, Russian in 1912, and finally English in 1925.”

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Song by Carrie Underwood/Stuart Keene Hine
How Great Thou Art lyrics © Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., Manna Music Inc, Stuart Hine Trust, Emerald Music (Ireland) Ltd
Listen

Thursday

24

Friday

25

Read Matthew 25:31-46

“In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it to me.”

Jesus, our Universal King, does not cling to his kingly status. No; he is hidden in the faces of those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers or lacking clothes.

We are called to pay homage to our Lord Jesus by loving the poorest of our sisters and brothers. We are called to adorn the hungry with food, to make migrants and refugees feel at home, and to clothe the shivering person on our doorstep.

Let us ask Christ, the King of Justice, to bless and move our hearts to action.

“Blessed are the open hands that embrace the poor and help them: they are hands that bring hope.

“Blessed are the hands that reach beyond every barrier of culture, religion and nationality, and pour the balm of consolation over the wounds of humanity.

“Blessed are the open hands that ask nothing in exchange, with no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ or ‘maybes’: they are hands that call down God’s blessing upon their sisters and brothers.”

Lord Jesus, forgive us the times we neglect you and pass by on the other side. Help us to remember your words and to serve our neighbours with love and humility. Amen

This reflection and prayer were written by Rachel McCarthy, who works in CAFOD’s Theology Programme.
The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD)

Saturday

26

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy. “

Henry Ward Beecher

Sunday

27

Creator of light and dark, your presence is known in the rising and setting of the sun. With the faith of Abraham we see signs of your promises in both the stars of heaven and the deep and terrifying darkness of the cleft earth. When the rulers of this world threaten to destroy the creatures of your making, the spirit of your Son gathers us as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. May the certainty of our citizenship in heaven inspire and sustain our resolve in caring for your beloved earth.

Monday

28

Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti of Pope Francis
on the Fraternity and Social Friendship

Chapter Four
A fruitful exchange

137.       Mutual assistance between countries proves enriching for each. A country that moves forward while remaining solidly grounded in its original cultural substratum is a treasure for the whole of humanity. We need to develop the awareness that nowadays we are either all saved together or no one is saved. Poverty, decadence and suffering in one part of the earth are a silent breeding ground for problems that will end up affecting the entire planet. If we are troubled by the extinction of certain species, we should be all the more troubled that in some parts of our world individuals or peoples are prevented from developing their potential and beauty by poverty or other structural limitations. In the end, this will impoverish us all.

138.       Although this has always been true, never has it been more evident than in our own day, when the world is interconnected by globalization. We need to attain a global juridical, political and economic order “which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity”.[120] Ultimately, this will benefit the entire world, since “development aid for poor countries” implies “creating wealth for all”.[121] From the standpoint of integral development, this presupposes “giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making”[122] and the capacity to “facilitate access to the international market on the part of countries suffering from poverty and underdevelopment”.[123]

Prayerfully consider how this affects our Country

Tuesday

29

God our creator,
you have made us one with this earth,
to tend it and to bring forth fruit:
may we so respect and cherish all that has life from you,
that we may share in the labour of all creation
to give birth to your hidden glory,
Amen

Wednesday

30

31

World Ranger Day

On paper, the job of a wildlife ranger seems idyllic. After all, who wouldn’t want to patrol wide-open vistas brimming with wildlife?

But the reality is that rangers face sophisticated poaching syndicates and wildlife trafficking networks, harsh environments, militia groups, terrorists and bandits in coordinated attacks or by poachers whilst protecting our wildlife and wild places, occasional tension with local communities, and animals that could misjudge them as a threat.  Whilst facing all these dangers, these valiant rangers continue to manage many other tasks including conservation, monitoring, fire management, law enforcement, education and community support. Their work is crucial for protecting endangered species, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining healthy ecosystems.

As demand for illegal wildlife products increase, the importance of wildlife guardians is increasingly important.  Without these rangers, we would have no wildlife left, no parks to visit, and no bright future for many communities relying on the tourism industry.

Support these brave men and women in any way you can – especially by covering them with prayers for their safety and protection.