The definition of the word blessing is to be in God’s favor and protection. This definition includes not only our interpersonal relationships but also our relationship with nature and the global community. There are many passages in the bible that speaks of God’s blessing upon all of God’s creation. In the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus assures his disciples of the gift of the Holy Spirit and commissions them to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (USCCB) God calls each of us to be a source of blessing to one another but also to the global community and the earth itself. The following activities help the flow of God’s blessing to increase in and for our world.

· A source of blessing to the wider community, is our care for creation. Pope Francis wrote the beautiful encyclical Laudato Si: Care for our Common Home, explaining how blessed we are to be a part of Mother Earth, and the responsibility we have to take care of her. Click HERE for an overview of Laudato Sí, from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

· Watch a prayer experience from Laudato Si, called Prayer for Our Earth.

· Let All Creation Praise, offers a few blessings about creation and the importance of its beauty.

· This poem by Rebecca Parker, “Choose to Bless the World,” focuses on the reflective question, “What will you do with your gifts?”