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St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680)
Patron of Environment and Ecology
Come, let us sing to Adonai, Let us praise the God of all Creation.
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will declare your praise.
SONG AT THE CENTER
All may sing or alternate the verses of any Morning Hymn
From the corners of creation to the center where we stand,
let all things be blessed and holy, all is fashioned by your hand.
Brother Wind and Sister and Water, Mother Earth and Father Sky
Sacred Plants and Sacred Creatures, Sacred People of the Land.
In the East the place of dawning there is beauty in the morn;
Here the seeker finds new visions as each sacred day is born.
All who honor life around them, All who honor life within,
They shall shine with light and glory when the morning breaks again.
In the South the place of growing, there is wisdom in the Earth
Both the painful song of dying and the joyful song of birth.
As the Earth gives up her lifeblood,so her children’s hearts may beat
We give back to her our reverence; holy ground beneath our feet.
In the North the place of wisdom there is holy darkness deep,
Here the silent song of mystery may awake you from your sleep.
Here the music still and holy sounds beneath the snow and night
In the ones who wait with patience for the coming of the light
In the West the place of seeing there is born a vision new
of the Servant of the servants who proclaimed a Gospel true.
Let the creatures of creation Echo back creation’s prayer,
Let the Spirit now breathe through us And restore the sacred here.
From the corners of creation to the center where we stand,
let all things be blessed and holy, all is fashioned by your hand.
Brother Wind and Sister and Water, Mother Earth and Father Sky
Sacred Plants and Sacred Creatures, Sacred People of the Land.
Marty Haugen, (C) GIA Publications
PSALMODY
Antiphon
“I am no longer my own. I have given myself entirely to Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 103/104
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Adonai, my God, you are so great!
Clothed with majesty and glory,
wrapped in light as with a robe.
You set Mother Earth on her foundations,
so she may stand firm forever.
Covered her with the deep as with a garment:
with waters as high as the mountains.
Your springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains,
gives drink to all creatures of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
and sing your praise among the branches.
You water mountains from the clouds of heaven;
the soil is satisfied by the fruit of your work:
It make grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens our hearts,
oil to make our faces shine,
and bread to sustain our lives.
You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows the hour of its setting.
You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return to rest in their dens.
Then we go out to our work,
to our labor until evening falls.
How many are your works, Adonai!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
All your creatures look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand,
they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the Earth.
May your glory, Adonai, endure forever;
may you always rejoice in your works—
I will sing to You, Adonai all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my song be pleasing to you,
May my soul always bless Your Name.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
“I am no longer my own. I have given myself entirely to Jesus Christ.”
READING From the Life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri said: “I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus. He must be my only love. The state of helpless poverty that may befall me if I do not marry does not frighten me. All I need is a little food and a few pieces of clothing. With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is necessary and what is left over I’ll give to my relatives and to the poor. If I should become sick and unable to work, then I shall be like the Lord on the cross. He will have mercy on me and help me, I am sure.”
Responsory
R. Set me as a seal upon your heart; like a band around your arm, * for love is stronger than death, it can never be destroyed. V. My beloved is hiding in the clefts of the rock, O let me but hear your voice and see your face; *for love is stronger than death, it can never be destroyed. V. Glory to the Abba, and the Word, and the Holy Breath of Love.
Canticle of Zachariah
Antiphon
With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is needed
and what is left over I’ll give to my relatives and to the poor.
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
With the work of my hands I shall always earn what is needed
and what is left over I’ll give to my relatives and to the poor.
Litany of the Circle
Teach your children that Earth is our mother.
Whatever befalls Earth befalls all the children of Earth.
The water’s murmur is the voice of our ancestors.
We are part of Earth, and Earth is part of us.
The rivers are our brothers; they quench our thirst.
The trees and flowers are our sisters.
The air is precious,
for all of us share the same breath.
All things are connected, like the blood which unites one family.
Our God is the same God, whose compassion is equal for all.
For we did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it;
Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.
Let us give thanks for the web in the circle that connects all of us.
Thanks be to God, the God of all.
Prayer of Jesus
Using a translation prepared by the Nez Percé Tribe, we pray as Jesus taught his disciples
O Great Spirit, You are our Shepherd Chief in the most high place.
Your home is everywhere, even beyond the stars and moon.
Whatever You want to be done, let it be done everywhere.
Give us Your gift of bread day by day.
Forgive us our wrongs as we forgive those who wrong us.
Take us away from wrong doings. Free us from evil.
For everything belongs to You. Let Your power and glory shine forever. Amen.
Closing Prayer & Blessing
Gracious God and Beauty of Creation, you called and gifted Kateri Tekakwitha
to flower among Native Americans in a life of prayer close to nature.
May her example of humility and love of nature inspire us to walk gently upon Earth,
and join with peoples from every nation, tribe and tongue in singing your praise now and forever. ~Amen.
May the Great Spirit + bless us and all of creation. ~Amen
Let us bless Adonai. ~Thanks be to God.
Prayer to the Great Spirit.
“Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind,
Whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice
Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf & rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts & act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy – Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
Martin J. Shutt