{"id":1728,"date":"2026-08-10T19:23:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T17:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fmi-adele.org\/season-of-creation-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T20:28:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T18:28:15","slug":"season-of-creation-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fmi-adele.org\/en\/season-of-creation-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Season of Creation 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2026, the universal Church is living a special time of spiritual renewal as it commemorates the eighth centenary of Saint Francis of Assisi\u2019s passing into eternal life (1226\u20132026). This Jubilee Year invites us to rediscover the witness of the Poverello<\/em>: his active charity, his tireless pursuit of peace, and his boundless love for Christ and for all creation. <\/p>\n\n

In this same jubilee context, the ecumenical Christian family invites us to celebrate the Season of Creation<\/strong>, from September 1 to October 4. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cLiving Water,<\/strong>\u201d is inspired by the vision of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez 47:9\u201312), who sees a river flowing from the sanctuary of God, bringing healing to the earth, making the deserts fruitful, and restoring life wherever everything seemed barren. The celebration guide can be downloaded from the Season of Creation website.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n

What does this invitation mean for us as Marianist Sisters? How can we bring together Ezekiel\u2019s vision of hope, Saint Francis\u2019s contemplative gaze, and our own charism as we respond to the environmental challenges of our time? <\/p>\n\n

Saint Francis found in all creation a reason to bless the Creator. In his celebrated Canticle of the Creatures<\/strong>, he praises God for \u201cSister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste\u201d. <\/p>\n\n

This is not a na\u00efve or romanticized view of nature, but a profound spiritual experience that recognizes every creature as a gift received from God (1). For this very reason, the theme \u201cLiving Water<\/strong>\u201d invites us to contemplate water not simply as a commodity or a resource to be exploited, but as a sacrament of life, purification, and renewal. To immerse ourselves in this \u201cLiving Water<\/strong>\u201d also means humbly acknowledging our responsibilities: the pollution of rivers and seas, the waste of such a precious resource, and the lack of access to safe drinking water that continues to affect millions of people around the world. Ecological conversion always begins with a conversion of the heart. <\/p>\n\n

The call to care for creation is an integral part of our life of faith (2) and of our alliance with Mary, as we collaborate with her in the mission of making Christ present in the world. The symbol of water takes on a particularly rich meaning when viewed through the lens of Marianist spirituality. Following the tradition of Saint Bernard, Father Chaminade frequently uses images of a channel or an aqueduct to speak of Mary (3). Christ is the source of all grace; Mary is the means chosen by God for bringing that grace to humanity. Chaminade presents her as the aqueduct who receives the fullness of grace and allows \u201cthe blessed water of grace to flow even to us,\u201d as Saint Bernard says. (4) (4)<\/p>\n\n

Contemplating Mary from this perspective invites us to receive this new life with gratitude and to become, in turn, humble instruments through which the grace of Christ may reach others. Each community and each Sister, in her own particular circumstances – through apostolic mission, accompaniment, daily service, or silent prayer – can become a channel of hope and care for our common home. <\/p>\n\n

The theme \u201cLiving Water<\/strong>\u201d finds a particularly meaningful resonance in the letters of Mother Adele. Living Water brings to mind the water of our Baptism, the source of new life in Christ. Adele encourages us to hasten to the \u201cfountain of living water\u201d that flows from the sacraments and quenches our spiritual thirst (5). And, recalling the figure of the Poverello,<\/em> she encourages her companions to embrace poverty, which Saint Francis called his \u201clady.\u201d (6). These insights invite us to live the Season of Creation as a call to be reborn in Jesus Christ (7) and to allow the Lord to renew us, so that our lives may become a sign of reconciliation with God, with others, and with all creation. <\/p>\n\n

The Season of Creation also invites us to take concrete steps. For example: <\/p>\n\n