Pope Leo XIV is once again calling the Church to turn its gaze toward creation and to see the world not as a resource to exploit but as a gift to cherish. In his September 2025 prayer intention, the Holy Father invites Catholics to ask God for the grace to recognize our interdependence with “all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect,” according to Vatican News.
This month’s intention is deeply inspired by the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. Like the saint who called the sun “Brother” and the moon “Sister,” Pope Leo’s prayer reminds the faithful that “nothing exists outside” of God’s “tenderness” and that even “the simplest or shortest life” is precious (Vatican News). This reflects the ongoing call of the Church to live out Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which begins with the words of Saint Francis’ Canticle of Creation: “Praised be You, my Lord.”
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The Pope encourages Catholics to see creation as a place of encounter rather than a puzzle to solve. “The beauty of creation” reveals God “as the source of goodness,” he prays, asking that our eyes be opened to see the world as “a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude” (Vatican News).
This month’s prayer also comes during the Season of Creation, celebrated worldwide from September 1 to October 4, which unites Christians across denominations in prayer and action for the care of the earth. This year is especially significant, marking both the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’ Canticle of Creation and the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’. Cardinal Michael Czerny notes that these milestones “invite us to live a moment of gratitude, commitment to and care for our common home” (Vatican News).
Father Cristóbal Fones, S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, adds that this intention “reminds us how interconnected our world is. Our well-being cannot be separated from other creatures living on earth, or from the ‘state of health’ of our planet.” He urges the faithful to consider how their actions affect God’s creation and to seek lifestyles that “foster the restoration and natural balance and harmony between human beings and the environment” (Vatican News).
For Catholics, this month is an invitation to pause, pray, and act — to contemplate creation with gratitude, to safeguard it with humility, and to recognize that caring for the earth is an essential part of living out the Gospel.
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