Invitation to Participate in Ignatian Vigil for Season of Creation (SoC) – Breathing Together

By Educate Magis
Sep 15th, 2020

We invite all educators of our Global Community to join the online prayer vigil organized by the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) along with Jesuits institutions and networks from different parts of the world. Please find below the letter of invitation with more information and links to join. This is a great opportunity to work and pray together for the Care of Creation!

Letter for Ignatian Vigil for Season of Creation (SoC) – Breathing Together, Rome, 14 September 2020 

The Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES), along with Jesuits institutions and networks from different parts of the world, is organising an online prayer vigil, similar to the Pentecost vigil of May 30, on the theme “Breathing Together”. During this prayer vigil, we shall be focussing on the three lungs of the earth: the Amazon, the Congo basin and the Asian forests. We hope that it will bring together our Jesuit and Ignatian Networks, along with many other networks of Churches throughout the world.

This online vigil will take place on the evening of Friday 25th September. Being a global celebration of creation with a call to conversion and commitment, the vigil will be celebrated in three times zones in Asia, Europe/Africa and the Americas at 8.00 p.m. in each of the time-zones respectively.

The vigil will have a flow of personal testimonies from indigenous people of the three lungs of the planet, reflections, combined with melodious music, interactive moments with participants, and symbolic actions. Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, will introduce and orient the vigil with his reflections.

The vigil will not last more than 40-45 minutes and it will be broadcasted live, and in two languages (English and Spanish), on the Jesuits Global YouTube channel. You can find more information on https://breathingtogether.jesuits.global.

The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. This is a time to join others in prayer and action, to care for our common home. This year, amidst the pandemic crisis that has shaken our world, we are awakened to the urgent need to heal our relationships with creation and with each other. Our planet earth is longing for fresh breath and for this we need the grace of God. We know that we need the gift of the Holy Spirit to re-generate that fresh breath and overcome the de-breathing that is taking place.

Today, in our wounded world, we are struggling for breath. We have disrupted the balance between God, creation and humanity, and we are experiencing the consequences of that disharmony in our changing climate.

The lungs of our world—the Amazon forest, Congo Basin and Asian boreal forests—are literally and figuratively on fire. Their people are crying out for justice. Join the Jesuit family in prayer and action for justice.

Now, perhaps more than ever before, we realize that we need the new breath of the Holy Spirit. We pray for this together, as a world-wide community of ‘friends in the Lord.’

With my prayers and best wishes,
Yours in Christ,
Xavier Jeyaraj SJ
Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology (SJES)
General Curia of the Society of Jesus