“And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family” (Lev 25:10).

The Season of Creation runs from September 1st (the World Day of Prayer for Creation) through October 4th (the Feast Day of St. Francis). The theme for 2020 is Jubilee for the Earth, calling us to remember the need for a just, sustainable balance between our social, economic, and ecological realities.

The concept of jubilee is rooted in Scripture, where the year of Jubilee marked a time of universal redemption. Injustices from the past fifty years were to be restored; debtors were to be released from their indebtedness; slaves and servants were to be liberated. It was a time of rest for the land, to restore balance to the systems that sustain life.

In his message last year on the World Day of Prayer for Creation, Pope Francis reminded us that the Season of Creation is a time “for letting our prayer be inspired anew” and “to reflect on our lifestyles,” attending to the “immense hardship for the most vulnerable among us” by “undertaking prophetic actions.”

As people of faith, we are called to proclaim liberty throughout the land and stand up against climate injustice!