Young Adult
Pray It!
St. Francis's Canticle of the Sun
O most High, almighty, good Lord God,
to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing!
Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!
Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,
and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.
Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.
Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.
Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty,
and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of
many colors, and grass.
Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon
one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!
Praised be my Lord for our sister,
the death of the body, from which no one escapes.
Woe to him who dies in mortal sin!
Blessed are they who are found walking by your
most holy will,
for the second death shall have no power to do
them harm.
Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God
with great humility.
O most High, almighty, good Lord God,
to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing!
Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!
Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,
and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.
Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.
Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.
Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty,
and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of
many colors, and grass.
Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon
one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!
Praised be my Lord for our sister,
the death of the body, from which no one escapes.
Woe to him who dies in mortal sin!
Blessed are they who are found walking by your
most holy will,
for the second death shall have no power to do
them harm.
Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God
with great humility.
Read It!
The Bishops and Pope Francis are trying to address the issue of climate change and our care for the environment. Read some articles on the subject to help inform your conscience.
Global Climate Change
Environmental Justice article from Bishop Wenski
Global Climate Change
Environmental Justice article from Bishop Wenski
Share It!
Go to the Catholic Climate Covenant and take the St. Francis Pledge. There are all kinds of cool features to the site including videos and tips for lessening your global footprint. Give it a look and learn all about Catholic teaching on Care of Creation.
Do It!
Composting as Service- Via Vibrant Faith at Home
By Jim Merhaut
Composting can save you money, improve your gardens, and reduce your waste. It can also be a spiritual experience that connects you to others as you offer service to creation, to those you feed, and to future generations.
Activity Plan
By Jim Merhaut
Composting can save you money, improve your gardens, and reduce your waste. It can also be a spiritual experience that connects you to others as you offer service to creation, to those you feed, and to future generations.
Activity Plan
- Say this prayer aloud to begin:
- God, give us wisdom to govern creation with a spirit of servant leadership. Amen.
- Christians honor Jesus as a king, but the biblical notion of royalty is different from typical human understandings of royalty. Discuss how Jesus' life reflects a model of servant leadership. Read Matthew 20:20-28 from your Bible for inspiration.
- Read aloud Genesis 1:26 from your Bible. What does it mean to be given dominion? Dominion is a royal term; in light of Jesus' ministry, biblical dominion is marked more by service than political power. How does this understanding of dominion challenge you to be more service-oriented in the way you relate to the rest of creation?
- It takes a lot for the federal government to publicize that a legal activity of a major industry poses a serious health threat. That is the case with pesticides on foods. Click on the following link for the EPA's warning: Pesticides: Health and Safety. What is your response to this information?
- Producing food with a service mindset calls us to consider the advantages of minimizing waste while we produce food that contains lower levels of contamination. Composting is a simple way to take a step toward food production and waste management that serves the health needs of those we feed while protecting the soil for future generations. The following steps will help you build a healthy compost pile that can become the foundation of your vegetable garden's nutrient system. If you do not have a vegetable garden, compost is also a clean and effective supplement for ornamental trees, shrubs, and flower gardens.
- Acquire or build a compost bin. (See "Prepare in Advance" above for links to instructions.)
- Layer food and yard waste with green and brown layers alternatively:
- Green layers include fresh grass clippings and/or kitchen scraps that exclude meat and dairy products.
- Brown layers include small twigs, wood chips, straw, and/or dried leaves.
- Each layer should be no more than four inches deep, and there is no minimum depth. Never leave a green layer exposed. Always cover it with a brown layer.
- Continue to build your layers throughout the summer until your composter is full.
- Stirring the compost is not necessary, but it will speed up the composting process. If you do stir it and material from green layers are exposed, cover them with brown material.
- Let the compost decompose throughout the fall and winter.
- As soon as spring arrives, empty your composter and cover your compost with a tarp to protect it from sun and rain. Use it as you garden.
- As you engage in the composting process, reflect on how diversity is a blessing in nature. Wonder deeply about how God's natural processes that can take what is garbage in our eyes and transform it into valuable nutrition for our food. Rejoice that your service of composting provides safer food for your children and healthier soil for the generations who will come after you.
