‘Many Species. One Planet. One Future.’

World Environment Day (WED) 2010

World Environment Day is celebrated on 5 June each year. As we lead up to this celebration you are invited to spend some time in prayer for the environment and all of God’s creation.

We are united through our prayer as we celebrate the wonders of God’s creation and reflect on our connection with the natural world. We offer our thanks and praise to the one who creates and sustains life in all its diverse forms.

Commemorated on 5 June since 1972, World Environment Day is one of the principal ways through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

Through World Environment Day , the United Nations is able to give a human face to environmental issues and enable people to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

World Environment Day

Rwanda, the East African country is the global host for World Environment Day 2010. This year’s theme, ‘Many Species. One Planet. One Future.’ is a message focusing on the central importance to humanity of the globe’s wealth of species and ecosystems. The WED theme also supports this year’s UN International Year of Biodiversity.

Follow the link to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) website and view a short video about the conservation issues the people of Rwanda currently face.

Primary School Students are invited to view: “Highland Water Towers – Rwanda”Secondary Students view: “Genocide and the Environment – Rwanda”

http://www.unep.org/newscentre/multimedia/

Rwanda – Host Country 2010

N.B. The picture on Slide No.7 of this PPT (We Respond) hyperlinks to a 3 minute retreat found on the Loyola Press Website.

‘Many Species. One Planet. One Future.’

World Environment Day (WED) 2010

We Gather

God our Creator,

You have made us one with this earth, to tend it and to bring forth fruit;

May we so respect and cherish all that has life from you, that we may share in the labour of all creation to give birth to your hidden glory.

We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

We Listen

A reading from the Book of Genesis

The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.

The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

We Respond

We Go Forth

Christ our Saviour, who restored unity between earth and heaven,

Teach us to care for your earth, and to be good stewards of all that is in it. All: Amen

May we learn how to live in harmony with your creation, that the earth may bring forth goodness to nourish and renew all who share it. All: Amen

May the Spirit of God who renews all creation fill us with a sense of God’s presence in and on the earth. All: Amen

May our actions be guided by his grace that all things will be reconciled, renewed and restored.All: Amen

Let us go serving Christ and acting for the good of Creation.

Sign of the Cross