Fr. Richard OMOLADE

“Nigeria is in a mess”, many of us often shout. But it is not just Nigeria that is in a mess, the world itself is in a mess, but there is the desire to move on, to hope for a better future and desire it. Those who enjoy the better life do not wait for it; they make it happen.  They employ themselves instead of just wallowing in pity and doubt. 

As Christians we must live with the certainty that better life is possible and that we can accomplish it. If the people of the world are without hope, can Christians rise to the occasion and sow the seed of hope by the way they live their life? There is too much pity party going on. This is also true in the Church. A lot of things are not as they should be, but who is going to do it? We complain and offer no tangible way out. We point fingers and sit idle, the Church, the body of Christ bleeds on because Christians lack the courage to change the world having failed to change themselves. The Church calls on her members to do something about creation.  Formulary for a new mass has been approved as a practical step to remind us that the work of creation is seriously threatened because of irresponsible use and abuse of the goods God has endowed to our care.

Making the world a better place is the responsibility of every Christian, no wonder, Pope Leo in July 2025 instituted September 1st as the day to celebrate Mass for the care of Creation. It marked the 10th anniversary of the publication of Laudato si, that encyclical on the environment. The Celebration itself could be observed between September 1 and October 4 which is the Feast of St. Francis, a saint that has shown us to treasure creation and enjoy its beauty. The celebration of the Care of creation is the Church’s invitation to all of us to pay more attention to the created order God has given us. It calls us to responsible stewardship instead of a relationship of exploitation and devaluation.

The Pontiff asked us to pray for the conversion of all, including ourselves, who are yet to recognize the urgent need to care for our common home. We have been told that at Mass, we are intricately and intimately united with the host of heaven and with God himself. At Mass, God comes down anew to be with us and at Mass, we are lifted above the world to be united with God. At Mass, creation is united with the heavenly realm. Hence, the Mass, the prayer of Christ himself offers us the opportunity to celebrate the gift of creation, to accept responsibility for its care and to be untied with others to bring about the reign of God. The communion we celebrate at Mass reminds us that while “we await the new heavens and the new earth, we may learn to live in harmony with all creatures.”

As we celebrate the Jubilee of St. Francis, the celebration and the Mass for the Care of creation are meeting at a providential time in the liturgical year when our people are generously reminded of the gifts of creation through the gives of harvest, but it is at this period the many communities are also inundated by uncontrollable flood while in some lands, the heat from the Sun has scorched their land.  These events may seem far apart, but they are scenes from creation entrusted to our care that many of us have not paid attention to in the past. From cutting down trees without planting others to replace them, from dumping our refuse into gutters and hoping the rain will wash them away, from constantly using chemicals to deal with pests to burning all our nylons, garbage and tires because we do not know better. These are not consequences of neutral actions; they are laden with grave consequences that affect not only today but more importantly the future of our children. We are thus being called upon to reverse our current course of action and chart a new course that will bring us a peaceful, and more supportive environment.

Thus, the link because the care of creation and the Mass is that during this special Mass dedicated to the care of creation, we are invited to listen attentively to the word of God point us along the right path of responsible steward of creation.  The Mass invites us to praise God in his creation and if we accept this call to praise, we must also realize that we cannot devalue, disfigure or destroy what we have praised in the presence of God or in honour of God.

As you know, the Mass is never truly ended, because after the liturgical part, we are all commissioned to go into the world man influence the world for God. We must take the fruits of the Mass to the world and transform it for good Creation is groaning, and it is incumbent on us to free it from its current decay and degradation. Let’s celebrate the Mass and get the grace and strength to shape the world according to the mind of God for our own good and the good of all humanity.