09/09/2026
๐๐๐๐ || Pastoral Message on the Season of Creation 2026
This yearโs Season of Creation focuses on โLiving Waterโ. This theme is taken from the biblical passage that depicts the rising level of water flowing from the temple toward the barren land, forming a river and restoring life to its flora and fauna (Ez 47:1-12).
Water holds deep significance in our lives. Life-giving water is indeed a gift from God that sustains the entire ecosystem. This gift finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who is referred to as the Living Water in the gospel. We are called to immerse ourselves in this Living Water and allow God to restore our dignity as His beloved people and as stewards of our common home. This process entails restoring our relationship with God, with our neighbors, with ourselves, and honoring our interconnectedness with all of creation. May He grant us His wisdom as we care for our shared world.
We humbly acknowledge the ecological crisis we face today, which includes a severe water crisis, as well as the pollution of our rivers and oceans. We must urgently heed the cry of our waters and find ways to protect them from further destruction.
Therefore, we call on all the faithful in the archdioceseโclergy, consecrated men and women, and everyone involved in various ministries, including our schoolsโto fully implement our drive for cleaner waters and oceans through the following actions:
โข ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง in homes, convents, schools, offices, and all other spaces.
โข ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐-๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ. Whenever possible, use reusable banners, digital announcements, cloth streamers, or other sustainable alternatives.
โข ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐-๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ during archdiocesan and parish activities, such as meetings, formation seminars, retreats, recollections, and other church events.
โข ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ during fiestas and other festive celebrations. Promote decorations made from indigenous, reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable materials.
โข ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ during celebrations and events, recognizing their harmful impact on wildlife and the environment.
โข ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ during archdiocesan and parish gatherings. If local technology exists to repurpose plastics into sustainable products (such as eco-boards, construction bricks, or furniture), partner with those initiatives.
โข ๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐จ-๐๐๐ ๐ฌ instead of plastic bags when purchasing goods or distributing materials.
โข ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ (for at least biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste) in all parishes, schools, and institutions.
โข ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐, which contributes to air pollution in our communities.
These are concrete, accessible ways we can โimmerse ourselves in the living waterโ. Let every one of us across the archdiocese heed the call of the prophet Ezekiel to value living water and allow it to restore right relationships among us, with creation, and above all, with God.
As we launch the Season of Creation on his feast day here in the archdiocese, let us learn from St. Augustine, who considered Scripture to be "running streams"โthe living water that quenches the spiritual thirst of the human soul until our hearts find rest. May we also be inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, who referred to the rivers as his sisters. Finally, let us ask for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Creation, to accompany us as dutiful stewards of our common home and its waters.
-๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐. ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง, ๐.๐.
๐๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฃ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ข๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ช๐ค ๐๐ณ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฐ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ข๐จ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ.
#๐๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ #๐๐๐๐ #๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ #๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ #๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ซ๐จ #๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ #๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฐ #๐๐๐ง๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ #๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก #๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง #๐๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐๐๐
