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CREATION IMMERSION IN LIVING WATER | 2026

OFFICE FOR MISSION AND MINISTRY V I L L A N O VA U N I V E R S I T Y

Introduction to the Season

Week One: Trees + Plants

Week Two: The Cosmos Week Three: Non-human Animals Week Four: Rocks/Water

Week Five: Humanity Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal Concluding Reflection

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Season of Creation 2026 The Season of Creation spans five weeks between the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (September 1) and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4). The beginning and end date of the Season of Creation are linked with the concern for creation in the Eastern and Western traditions of Christianity. September 1 is not only the beginning of the Orthodox Church year but was proclaimed by the late Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I, in 1989 as a day of prayer for the environment. In 2015, Pope Francis designated September 1 as a World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation for the global Roman Catholic Church as well. On October 4, Catholics and other churches from the Western traditions commemorate the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. The ecumenical appeal of this season makes it a veritable platform to engage Christians of every tradition in ecological conversion. The Villanova community, in keeping with its Augustinian value of searching together, also honors and draws on the wisdom of other faith traditions, whose teachings summon humanity to pray and care for creation. Some elements of nature have been carefully chosen to aid our reflection during these five weeks. It is a time to slow down, listen, and breathe. The Season of Creation invites us to be attentive to the gentle rhythm of a running stream, to the air that serenades us as it blows through the trees, and to the fire that warms and comforts us. The importance of this celebration lies in two facts: our calling as stewards of creation and the need for bold and prophetic action in addressing the ecological crisis.

What Is Visio Divina? Visio Divina (“Divine Seeing”) is Latin for a prayer practice of reflecting on visual images as a way to listen to the voice of God. Gaze at this image or find it at Villanova and spend some time there. What do you notice, and what do you wonder about it? What might God be revealing to you about God, the created world, and your life through this experience of reflection? Spend some time in gratitude before leaving the image or the location. Explore both the Cabrini and Villanova campuses to wonder at Creation.

Fountain, Villanova Cabrini Campus

TREES& PLANTS September 1-5, 2026

We cannot grasp that disaster reveals itself in the weather if fluctuations of air and wind and precipitation have no substance in themselves and therefore no capacity to disclose reality. Psalm 148, by contrast, offers a counterpoint to ingrained conceptual limitations and invites us to take seriously our own weather events. “Praise the Lord, O you who are on earth, all sea monsters and ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and smoke, storm wind that executes God’s command” (verses 7-8). Here the praising of God is carried out not only by creatures but also by climatological phenomena-fire and hail, snow and smoke and storm wind. Psalm 104, by contrast, imagines interconnected species coexisting in symbiotic balance: “The trees of the Lord drink their full, the cedars of Lebanon, His own planting, where birds make their nests; the stork has her home in the junipers. The high mountains are for wild goats; the crags are a refuge for rockbadgers” (verses 16-18). The Psalm testifies to an ecological imagination at work, observing trees drawing water for themselves and in so doing, benefiting the birds who make their homes in those trees. Each species’ place, needs, and activities are interlinked and mutually sustaining. This world is neither vertically arranged nor bifurcated but rather an ordered non-hierarchical web. Likewise, the humans who till the soil in this Psalm appear not as stewards but as one species living in harmony with others. Rather than placing humans outside of a pristine, untouched “nature,” the Psalmist sings praise for a world in which the human animal can be present without dominating the rest of creation. Finally, if most biblical texts grant humans a singular capacity for willful agency, these Psalms speak of the animacy and responsiveness of all creation. Psalm 148 calls upon them to praise God: Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all bright stars. Praise Him, highest heavens, and you waters that are above the heavens (Ps. 148:3-4). Elsewhere, forests, hills, and other phenomena of the “natural world” dance and sing: mountains skipped like rams, hills like sheep (Ps. 114:4). The flood waters have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring (Ps. 93:3). The liveliness of the natural world breaks through in these moments; the nonhuman world is given agency, animation, and voice. From Reading Psalms as the Water Rises by Mara H. Benjamin, in Sources: A Journal

Judaism “When the Holy One created the first human beings, God led them around the Garden of Eden and said, ‘Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent! For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world—for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.” —Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13

VISIO DIVINA As you walk through the Cabrini and Villanova campuses, take time to pause and consider the trees. See if you can cultivate a sense of wonder about them—their roots and branches, the height and size of the canopy. What do you wonder about trees, and what do trees reveal to you about God and Creation? Listen for how God might be speaking into your life through reflections on our campus trees. What will you take from this experience of

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reflection as you go through this week?

If you have a sapling in your hand and you hear that the messiah has come, first finish planting the sapling—then go and greet the messiah. —Avot De-Rabbi Natan B 31:2 Villanova Campus

SEPTEMBER 1, 2026: World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4)

Villanova Campus

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS September 3, 2026, Mass for the Care of Creation, 5:30 p.m. Corr Chapel, Villanova campus. The Rev. John Abubakar, OSA, PhD, Chief Sustainability Officer at Villanova University will preside and preach. Mass for the Care of Creation is a liturgical formulary added to the Roman Missal, by the Vatican in 2025 in response to Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’. The Mass highlights the importance of the interconnectedness of humanity, God and the natural world, emphasizing the need to care for the environment and humanity’s role as stewards of creation. All are welcome!

TAKE A SELF-GUIDED CAMPUS TREE TOUR Take an intentional walk throughout campus to notice the variety of trees that provide beauty, shade and texture. Slow down and become aware of the plants, flowers and vegetation on Villanova’s campus. Use the Trees of Villanova guide to identify trees and familiarize yourself with their location. How do they change throughout the seasons? Which is your favorite?

PLEASE RAIN ON MY PARADE Suzanne Wentzel ’14 MA When I was growing up, our beloved local weatherman reduced most forecasts to two categories: good guys (smiling sun) and bad guys (frowning clouds). Like many viewers, I loved his good-humored schtick. It was only as an adult that I realized how entrenched this attitude toward weather is in our culture. We use biased terms like “fair” to describe the weather when we can take in a ballgame or go on a picnic, and “foul” to describe it when conditions derail those plans. But to villainize rain, even lightheartedly, is not, well, fair. Extreme precipitation, of course, can bring death and destruction, but rainfall is the source of life for all of creation. Our actions over many decades have disrespected God’s gift of “living water.” Consider the consequences of our harmful choices:

polluted waterways, drought, reduced access to drinking water, and water scarcity—not to mention the thoughtless ways we waste this precious commodity. It’s time for a change in our weather ’tude. What if, when we checked the forecast on our phones and saw a big, black cloud over a Saturday, we thanked God? What if, when the heavens opened, we grabbed our boots and splashed outside, delighting in God’s downpour? One rainy Sunday after Mass, a fellow parishioner grimaced at the so-called dreary skies. “Perhaps it’s the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth,” I suggested. She smiled at the idea that maybe, just maybe, those clouds were good guys.

THE COSMOS September 6-12, 2026

Buddhism Buddhism is a religion of love, understanding and compassion and committed towards the ideal of non–violence. As such, it also attaches great importance to wildlife and the protection of the environment on which every being in this world depends for survival. We regard our survival as an undeniable right. As co-habitants of this planet, other species too have this right for survival. And since human beings as well as other non-human sentient beings depend upon the environment as the ultimate source of life and wellbeing, let us share the conviction that the conservation of the environment, the restoration of the imbalance caused by our negligence in the past, be implemented with courage and determination. These teachings lead us to the following words by His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

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“As we all know, disregard for the natural inheritance of human beings has brought about the danger that now threatens the peace of the world as well as the chance to live of endangered species. Such destruction of the environment and the life depending upon it is a result of ignorance, greed and disregard for the richness of all living things. This disregard is gaining great influence. If peace does not become a reality in the world and if the destruction of the environment continues as it does today, there is no doubt that future generations will inherit a dead world. . . . We are the generation with the awareness of a great danger. We are the ones with the responsibility and the ability to take steps of concrete action, before it is too late.”

VISIO DIVINA As you move through your week on both the Cabrini and Villanova campuses, take a moment to gaze at the stars, clouds, the colors of the sunrise or sunset, and the moon. Develop a sense of wonder about them. What do you notice about the sky and the cosmos? How are we part of this planet Earth? What does this reveal to you about God? Listen for how God might be speaking to you through reflections on the cosmos and your place in it. What will you take away from this experience of reflection as you go through this week?

Villanova Observatory

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS September 7-10, 2026: Explore the night sky at the Villanova Public Observatory, located on the fourth floor of the Mendel Science Center in the University’s Department of Astrophysics and Planetary Science. Open Monday through Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m., weather permitting. The Observatory is open when the night sky is clear enough to see stars. Wednesday, September 9, 2026, Mass for Peace, Sacred Heart Chapel, Cabrini Campus A peaceful world and authentic ecological conversion both demand an inner transformation—a renewal of the heart. Join us to pray for peace in our world, in our communities and within our hearts.

A PRAYER BEFORE DARK WATERS Colin McGuigan, PhD An evening walk along the Delaware. My teenagers hop the railing and lean over the dark water. Ship-to-shore cranes work into the night, unloading containers of our ordinary lives: bananas, avocados, smart phones, vintage-style turntables, noisecancelling dog earmuffs. Beside us, a sign: Warning: Combined sewer overflow point. Pollution may be present. I think of the oceans, heating, acidifying; the ice sheets, melting; the great Atlantic overturning circulation, faltering. In the seventh century, St. Isaac of Nineveh said our sins, beside God’s mercy, were but a drop of water in the sea. In the twenty-first century, we’re putting that metaphor to the severest test. What sea is wide enough to blot out our ecological sins? In our insanity, we have traded the

future for consumer goods for the many and fabulous profits for the glamorous few. My kids, horsing around above the dark waters, need very little from those containers being hoisted skyward day and night. What they need is already here: cool night air blowing in from the water, the sounds of the river shore, crickets and cicadas starting up in the dark. I joined my children at the railing, looked to the river. In its waters the dock’s garish floodlights became a scattering of trembling stars beside a watery moon. I sent up a prayer. As Ezekiel saw a deepening river flowing from the temple, bringing life to barrenness, would that same living water well up in us and bring life to our own Dead Seas.

NON-HUMAN ANIMALS September 13-19, 2026

Hinduism Hinduism believes in the all-encompassing sovereignty of the divine, manifesting itself in a graded scale of evolution. The human race, though at the top of the evolutionary pyramid at present is not seen as something apart from the earth and its multitudinous life forms. The Atharva Veda has the magnificent Hymn to the Earth which is redolent with ecological and environmental values. The following verses are taken from this extraordinary hymn: Earth, in which lie the sea, the river and other waters, in which food and cornfields have come to be, in which lives all that breathes and that moves, May she confer on us the finest of her yield Earth, in which the waters, common to all, moving on all sides, flow unfailingly, day and night, may she pour on us milk in many streams, and endow us with lustre May those born of thee, O Earth be for our welfare, free from sickness and waste. Wakeful through a long life we shall become bearers of tribute to thee. Earth, my mother, set me securely with bliss in full accord with heaven, O wise one, uphold me in grace and splendour. Not only in the Vedas, but also in later scriptures such as the Upanishads, the Puranas and subsequent texts the Hindu view point on nature has been clearly enunciated. It is permeated by reverence for life and an awareness that the great forces of nature—the earth, the sky, the air, the water and fire—as well as the various orders of life including plants and trees, forest and animals, are all bound to each other with the great rhythms of nature. The divine is not exterior to creation but expresses itself through natural phenomena. Thus in the Mundaka Upanishad the divine is described as follows: Fire is his head, his eyes are the moon and the sun; the regions of space are his ears, his voice the revealed Veda; the wind is his breath, his heart is the entire universe; the earth is his footstool, truly he is the inner soul of all.

From THE ASSISI DECLARATIONS: Messages on Humanity and Nature from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam & Judaism, BASILICA DI S. FRANCESCO ASSISI -ITALY WWF 25TH ANNIVERSARY, 29 September 1986

VISIO DIVINA What animals do you encounter as you move through your week at Villanova? Gaze at birds, squirrels, bugs, and any other animals you encounter, and notice their presence with a sense of wonder and curiosity. What do they reveal to you about God? Consider the animals again and pay attention to how God might be speaking into your life through reflections on the non-human animals around you. What will you take from this experience of reflection as you go through this week?

Pet Therapy - Villanova Campus

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Monday, September 14, 2026, from 12 to 1 p.m. Lecture: “When Climate Disrupts Mobility: Data, AI, and the Unequal Geography of Access” Speakers’ Corner event featuring Chenfeng Xiong, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Villanova University Dr. Xiong explores how data, AI, and digital tools map unequal climate impacts and introduces the Climate-Mobility World Model for sustainable multi-campus mobility. Sponsored by Falvey Library and the Strategic Initiative for Climate, Justice, and Sustainability (SICJS) September 15, 2026, 11:30 a.m. Villanova Campus Tree Tour, led by Hugh Weldon, University Horticultural Supervisor. Meet at 11:30 a.m. in front of St. Rita Hall by the Grotto. RAIN DATE: September 16. Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Mass for Peace, Sacred Heart Chapel, Cabrini Campus A peaceful world and authentic ecological conversion both demand an inner transformation—a renewal of the heart. Join us to pray for peace in our world, in our communities and within our hearts. Wednesday, September 16, 4- 5 p.m. Pet Therapy - Health Services Building Room 113 on the Villanova Campus Take a Paws for Yourself! De-stress, recharge, and enjoy some time with our friendly therapy pets on the Villanova and Cabrini campuses. Pet therapy is a great way to relax, boost your mood, and take a break from your busy day. Additional Pet Therapy sessions during the Season of Creation take place from 4-5 p.m. on September 23 at the Dixon Center, Cabrini Campus, and on September 30 at the Health Services Building, Room 113, on the Villanova Campus. Saturday, September 19, 2026 St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service

REFLECTION

Nicole Hoffman ’25, ’27 “When I lived in Utah, I often ran on mountain trails near my apartment. One summer afternoon, I decided to leave my water bottle behind because I planned to run only a mile or two. Instead, I kept going. The desert heat intensified, and I kept looking for the exit down the mountain that I remembered from previous runs. When I couldn’t find it, every extra mile made me more aware of my growing thirst and transformed water from an afterthought into the only thing I could think about. A few miles later, dehydrated and exhausted, I finally found my way off the mountain. To my surprise, I was right in front of the local water park where my roommate worked. She saw me, gave me some drinking water, and let me jump into the pool. I felt utter relief!

Looking back on that experience, I think about how quickly something ordinary had become sacred. I wonder if this is part of what Christ meant when He described Himself as living water. “If any man thirst,” He said, “let him come unto me, and drink” (JN 7:37). The invitation begins with thirst, with recognizing a need within us that we cannot satisfy on our own. Recognizing our dependence on water invites us to care for it differently. When our water gets polluted, ecosystems suffer and communities suffer alongside them. Ecological well-being and human well-being are inseparable. We need water, and water needs our care. This Season of Creation, may we appreciate and protect water with gratitude and reverence.

ROCKS& WATER September 20-26, 2026

Nek Newa Ahasak A Pennsylvania Lenape Story as told by Chief Robert Redhawk Ruth The Prophecy of the Fourth Crow |As told by Robert Red Hawk Ruth Translated by Shelley DePaul Lomewe, luwen hunt okwes xu punenhasu xkwithakamika. Long ago it was said that a fox will be loosened on the earth. Ok nen luwe newa ahasak xu peyok. Also it was said that four crows would come. Netami ahas kenthu li guttitehewagan wichi Kishelemukonk.. The first crow flew the way of harmony with Creator. Nisheneit ahas kwechi pilito entalelemukonk, shek palsu ok ankela. The second crow tried to clean the world, but he became sick and he died. Nexeneit ahas weneyoo ankelek xansa ok koshiphuwe. The third crow saw his dead brother and he hid. Neweneit ahas kenthu li guttitehewagan lapi wichi Kishelemukonk. The fourth crow flew the way of harmony again with Creator. Kenahkihechik xu withatuwak xkwithakamika. Caretakers they will live together on the Earth. We have chosen to tell the story of the Lenape in Pennsylvania through “The Prophecy of theFourth Crow,” an ancient story passed down among the Lenape for generations. This story relates the ways in which Lenape people have struggled to survive and to keep their community and culture intact. Chief Red Hawk summarizes the current interpretation of the Prophecy in the following way: “We now know that the First Crow was the Lenape before the coming of the Europeans. The Second Crow symbolized the death and destruction of our culture. The Third Crow was our people going underground and hiding. The Fourth Crow was the Lenape becoming caretakers again and working with everybody to restore this land.” https://www.penn.museum/sites/FAP/prophecy.shtml

The fountain on the Villanova Campus is a popular space for study, complementation, quiet conversations and meeting friends.

VISIO DIVINA There is rock in many shapes and forms on campus—on building facades, along pathways, as layered slate, and on nature walks. Notice the rock’s color, texture, and purpose. Consider it with wonder and curiosity. Spend time at the fountains on both the Cabrini and Villanova Campuses to consider water—the sounds, feel, and sight of the fountains. Notice the dryness of our grassy areas and gardens during drought. Notice the puddles and rivulets of water during rainstorms. What does your reflection reveal to you about God? Ask for the grace to discern what lesson God might want you to take from this experience of reflection as you consider your own life. How does your daily life affect the ecosystems you are part of, and how are you affected in turn? How are you building up our common home?

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Mass for Peace, Sacred Heart Chapel, Cabrini Campus A peaceful world and authentic ecological conversion both demand an inner transformation—a renewal of the heart. Join us to pray for peace in our world, in our communities and within our hearts. Looking ahead: Monday, October 26, 2026 Adela Dwyer-St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award 2026 Recipient: Amy Bowers Cordalis, attorney, devoted advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental restoration, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group. 7-8:30 p.m., Villanova Room, Connelly Center

DOWN THE BLUE RIVER Chiji Akoma, PhD. Rivers fascinate me. No crashing waves or the splatter of rushing water over rocks or through crevices. Ever-flowing, lugubriously, winding through forests and farmlands. Widening, constricting, moving, its depths are a mystery in its seeming placidness. I was born in a riverine community. The longwinding Imo River from the northern part of Abia State in Nigeria flows southward and meets my community’s Azumini Blue River as a tributary in . the southeast, and then empties into the Atlantic Ocean, which is less than 20 nautical miles from my hometown. It’s called the Blue River because of its crystal-clear beauty. From the bridge, folks would throw coins that landed on the riverbed and watch as children dived like cormorants to pick up the coins as prize.

The Blue River is literally Azumini’s life sustainer. . From every corner of our community, we head to the river and its streams to fetch water for domestic uses. Old and young, women and men, everyone goes to the river as a social meeting point. Debates over the fastest swimmer or who could hold their breath the longest under water are quickly decided from the first dive. People returning from farmlands stop by to refresh themselves with lazy back strokes that let the cool sweet water wash over them. So much history flows along that river. But the power of the Blue River is its eternal serenity and beauty. Always present, always flowing, its life force ever nourishing to all who wade in.

HUMANITY September 27 - October 4, 2026 The unutterably vast and glorious cosmos reflects the alltranscendent glory of God, the All-Sustaining Lord of the worlds of being that extend beyond our grasp. In its heart, this Earth with its evanescent community of life, of which we are a part, is exquisite beyond all telling, and more precious than mortal human beings can comprehend, for it too reflects the grace and mercy of the Lord of all. Each thing that God has created is a sign of His power, wisdom, and grace, and we seek insight, understanding, and guidance from these signs. He has unfolded all things in balance with one another, in need of one another, and all support and benefit one another. Nothing is created wantonly or in vain. All are created in Truth and for Right, and each has rights on us: that we care for it in reverential awe for its Lord, in compassion unwithheld, and in utmost beauty and good. To serve the Lord of all by working utmost good is the deepest purpose of our lives, for God “…created death and life to try you, which of you work most good…” (67:2)

VISIO DIVINA Be deliberate and notice all the people you encounter in your daily life at Villanova. Approach humanity with wonder and curiosity. What does this practice reveal to you about the nature of God? What might God be encouraging you to notice about humanity as part of creation? What is your role in contributing to the common good? How can you respond to the cries of the earth and the poor?

from Othman Llewellyn, Fazlun Khalid and others. Al-Mizan: Covenant for the Earth. The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmenta Sciences, Birmingham, UK, 2024. l

Villanova Day of Service

Villanova University hosts an annual Day of Service, partnering with neighborhood agencies to provide service throughout Greater Philadelphia. Students and community members plant trees, clean neighborhoods, and provide nourishment to individuals and animal care organizations, among other acts of service. The Day demonstrates how we spend our time contributing to the common good and shows that we are all interconnected with Creation.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Mass for Peace, Sacred Heart Chapel, Cabrini Campus A peaceful world and authentic ecological conversion both demand an inner transformation—a renewal of the heart. Join us to pray for peace in our world, in our communities and within our hearts. EcoPhilly Pilgrimage for Creation, October 3, 2026 Experience Christ in Creation and deepen your connection with God, the Earth and each other. The pilgrimage, from Villanova University to Saint Joseph University, will take place Saturday October 3. For more information, check out the Eco Philly webpage at the QR code.

REFLECTION

Nigina Ab. Wedee Water has accompanied every chapter of my life. It has fallen from mountain skies, flowed through unfamiliar cities, crossed borders, and quietly reminded me that life continues to seek its way forward. Rivers do not ask where we were born, what language we speak, they simply flow, offering life to everyone they encounter. Across countries and continents, I have carried pieces of each place and come to see living water as more than a gift of nature. It is a teacher. A river does not cling to one place; it moves with purpose, carving new paths while sustaining everything along its banks. It reminds me that resilience is not about standing still but about continuing to move with hope, even after loss. Today, I have the privilege of working alongside families rebuilding their lives. Time and again, I see healing begin through simple acts of

welcome- a neighbor’s kindness, a teacher’s encouragement, a community’s compassion. Like streams joining a river, these moments remind me that living water also flows through the care we show one another, bringing hope, belonging, and new beginnings. When I watch my young daughter laugh beside the water, I am reminded that creation holds the promise of renewal. The same element that has witnessed uncertainty in my life now reflects joy, belonging, and peace. Water teaches me that hope is never stagnant. It is living. It flows through creation, through our relationships, and through every act of care that nourishes another human being. Perhaps we are called to become like living water ourselves-bringing life wherever we are, making room for others, and leaving every place more hopeful than we found it.

THE INAUGURAL POPE LEO XIV SUSTAINABILITY MEDAL October 13, 2026 The newly established Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal will be awarded on October 13, 2026, at Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, during the 2026 Villanova University International Sustainability Conference, Responding to the Cries of the Earth and the Poor, October 12-15, 2026, at the Patristicum in Rome, Italy. Presented every two years, the Medal recognizes outstanding global leadership at the intersection of sustainability, ethics and integral human development. The Medal is named after Pope Leo XIV, who elevated the Church’s role in global environmental responsibility. His leadership models ecological care by protecting vulnerable communities and championing systems that sustain both our earth and one another. Through his encyclicals, speeches, and guidance to the global Catholic Church, he continually addresses the connection between the needs of the earth and the poor. The recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal will be announced in September 2026 and will receive the award at the conference by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV. To learn more about the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal and to register for the International Sustainability Conference, use the QR code to access our website and follow us @novamissionandministry and learn more about the upcoming conference.

POPE LEO XIV PRAYER INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER 2026 For the Care of Water Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.

The Villanova Research and Education Garden serves as an educational, cross-curriculum resource, while modeling sustainable urban agriculture and enriching the greater Villanova community. It provides opportunities for research, integration into a variety of class curricula and social outreach through community partnerships.

ST. AUGUSTINE & THE ENVIRONMENT St. Augustine, who lived in North Africa during the late fourth and early fifth centuries of the Christian era, has nothing specific to say on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, Augustine—like Paul before him—had a radical change of heart inspired by his knowledge of and belief in Christ as the Son of God. Both men are admired for their much publicized (even by themselves) conversion experiences. In Augustine, that experience was an ongoing process, from the womb that bore him to the tomb that received him 76 years later. Both Paul and Augustine, spiritual masters in their own right, were, to be more accurate, followers or, better, disciples of Christ. This is my starting point for presenting what Augustine has to say to us about our environment: The foundation of it all is Christ—not Augustine, not Paul, not anyone else. Augustinian God-talk centers on and emanates from Augustine’s relationship with Christ. To be an Augustinian university means to follow Christ in an Augustinian fashion: in a personal, ongoing relationship and process of conversion. We are always “on the way,” never fully arrived, walking in the footsteps of Augustine, informed and enhanced by his personal and communal experience. That ongoing relationship and conversion process can

help us better understand how a follower of Christ can interpret the world in which we live—in this case, our environment. To the extent that Augustine’s experience enlightens us on that path, we are Augustinians. We follow Christ in an Augustinian manner. Among Augustine’s most famous works, admired— and sometimes even read—by many people throughout the ages, are The Trinity, The City of God and Confessions. These works can illumine Augustine’s understanding of the issue of the environment. Here, however, I will center on a document that has been read avidly and followed by many more people over the centuries: Augustine’s Rule of Life, which he wrote at the age of 43, some 10 years after his baptism. To foster and facilitate for his contemporaries the path walked by the early Christian community (see Acts 2:32–37, 4:42–47), Augustine gathered, in eight brief chapters, basic principles that could be applied and adapted by families, nuns, monks and clergy. I encourage you to peruse the Rule of Augustine, not to satisfy curiosity or discover the foibles and peculiarities of people’s lives over sixteen centuries ago, but rather to entertain how Augustine’s presentation might lead us to a better life: enough for all, always (a concise way of defining sustainability). Creation itself is our common good; the earth, our common home. They are gifts of God to all, including future generations.

DIGNITY The first principle emphasized by Augustine regarding sustainability is dignity, the innate worth of each and every human being. We are all of infinite worth. “Honor God in one another whose temples you have become” (Augustine, Rule, I, 8). Discover God, honor God, in ourselves and one another, aware that no one is worth more or less. Our worth resides not in what we have but in who we are: the image and likeness of our divine Creator. Truly, as Augustine states in one of his most celebrated, and and often paraphrased, expressions: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We are invited and destined to become more divine, more like God, more relational, as the Trinity itself is. The more we relate, the more human we become. Remember, Augustine was writing in North Africa, the land of his birth, for men and women of various races, as well as diverse social and economic strata. There were affluent landowners; those of a more humble, rural background, indigenous people, the Berbers (like Augustine’s mother, Monica); and those who aspired to be accepted in the declining but imposing social network of the Roman empire (like Augustine’s father, Patricius). All were invited to find God in themselves and one another. In Augustine’s community in Hippo, the previously wealthy learned to live in harmony with former slaves. No one was entitled to take sole ownership of what God had gifted to all. The more we share, the more Christlike we become. Tarsicius van Bavel, an Augustinian scholar of the 20th century, wrote the following in his introduction to the Rule: We could characterize the Rule of Augustine as a call to the evangelical equality of all people. It voices the Christian demand to bring all men and women into full communion. At the same time it sounds an implicit protest against inequality in a society which is so clearly marked by possessiveness, pride and power. According to

Augustine, a monastic community should offer an alternative by striving to build a community that is not motivated by possessiveness, pride and power, but by love for one another. And, in this sense, the Rule of Augustine is also socially critical. COMMON GOOD Another significant principle of the Augustinian way of living and following Christ more faithfully is the common good. Augustine clarifies in the Rule: “The more you are concerned about the common good rather than your own, the more progress you will know that you have made” (V, 2). Caring for and about what we hold in common is our vocation. Creation itself is our common good; the earth, our common home. They are gifts of God to all, including future generations. They are not to be enjoyed by only a few of us, but to be shared, just as God has shared them with us. This is the Augustinian golden rule for a sustainable life for all a veritable ecology based on justice, or right relationships on four levels: how we relate to ourselves, to our Creator, to one another and to the rest of creation. Let me stop here. Augustine’s Rule on the topic of sustainability or the environment has not been exhausted—far from it! But I invite you to discover for yourself and, hopefully, share with others how the two remaining principles of Catholic social thought, subsidiarity and solidarity, are also present in the document and how they, too, might be applied to the environment. That is what this presentation is about: Catholic social thought to encourage and guide social action on behalf of a better world in which we show that there is truly enough for all, always. Arthur Purcaro, OSA, is the assistant vice president for Mission and Ministry and author of Building a Better World: A Contemporary Augustinian Perspective (2026 New City Press). This article was originally published in The Heart of the Matter, the 2019 annual report for Villanova’s Office for Mission and Ministry at Villanova University.

OUR SHARED THIRST A Reflection by Fr. John Abubakar, OSA

Pope Leo’s prayer intention, “For the care of water,” invites us to contemplate water not simply as a natural resource, but as a sacred gift upon which all life depends. Water is among the most ordinary elements of our daily lives, yet its absence reveals how extraordinary it truly is. To pray for water is, in many ways, to pray for life, human dignity, justice, and peace. Across the world, however, water is increasingly becoming a source of vulnerability. Water poverty affects communities that lack reliable access to safe and affordable drinking water and adequate sanitation. For millions of people, finding clean water is not a matter of turning on a tap; it may mean walking long distances, waiting in queues, or relying on sources that expose families to disease. Women and children frequently carry a disproportionate burden of collecting water, sacrificing opportunities for education, work, and community participation. At the same time, water stress is intensifying. Growing populations, expanding cities, agricultural demand, pollution, and climate change are placing enormous pressure on freshwater systems. Rivers and aquifers are being depleted faster than they can naturally recover. Droughts are becoming more destructive in many regions, while floods threaten communities elsewhere. Water stress reminds us that environmental problems are rarely isolated. They affect food security, public health, livelihoods, migration, and economic stability. Water can also become a source of conflict. Around the world, nations and communities share rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers that do not respect political boundaries. Disagreements over access to water, dams, irrigation, hydropower, and control of shared watersheds can deepen existing political tensions. The prospect of “water wars” is therefore not simply a matter of distant speculation.

In regions already experiencing political instability, scarcity can become an accelerant of conflict, particularly when communities perceive that access to water is unequal or unjust. Yet water can also become an instrument of peace. Shared rivers can encourage cooperation rather than confrontation. The protection of watersheds can bring communities together. Ensuring equitable access to water can strengthen social stability and human dignity. The question before us is therefore not only whether there will be enough water, but whether humanity will learn to share water justly. Pope Leo’s prayer intention calls us toward this deeper understanding. The care of water is inseparable from the care of people and the care of creation. It reflects the vision of integral ecology, in which environmental sustainability, social justice, human development, and the common good are understood as interconnected realities. For Christians, water carries an especially profound spiritual meaning. Water is present at creation and in baptism; it cleanses, renews, nourishes, and gives life. To pollute water, waste it, or deny others access to it is therefore more than an environmental failure. It is a failure of solidarity with our neighbors and with future generations. To pray “for the care of water” is ultimately to ask for a conversion of heart. May we become grateful for every drop, responsible in our consumption, courageous in protecting rivers and oceans, and committed to ensuring that no person is deprived of the water necessary for life. May our shared thirst become an invitation to solidarity and may water rather than dividing peoples become a source of justice, cooperation, and peace.

NATURE PROCLAIMS THE BEAUTY OF GOD Augustine Encourages Us: “ Let your mind roam through the whole creation; everywhere the created world will cry out to you: ‘God made me!’” (Commentary on Psalm 26/2,12). Question the beauty of the earth, question the beauty of the sea, question the beauty of the air, question the beauty of the sky, question the far-flung ranks of the stars, question the sun making the day splendid with its radiant beams, question the moon soothing the darkness of the night with its gentle rays, question the animals that move in the waters, that stroll about on dry land, that

fly in the air...question all these things and they will answer: “Look, we are beautiful!” But who could have made these beautiful passing things if not the God who is beautiful and unchangeable? (Sermon 241, 2) Blessed are You, Lord God of all Creation! Through your goodness we enjoy the fruits of the earth, the work of human hands! You bless us with all good things so that all might share and enjoy life in abundance. We rejoice and we praise you with all of Creation as we proclaim with our lives: Blessed be God forever!

CONCLUDING REFLECTION At the end of our five-week reflection of listening to creation, of being in awe of the beauty of water in shaping the earth’s coastland and canyons, the power of the wind to create, and the wonder of our being, we will be energized to become streams of Living Water, leading us and others to care as God cares. This is our goal of the Season of Creation: for inner transformation, like an immersion in water, to make us successful images of God’s grace, goodness and favor. May the earth experience grace upon grace during these five weeks. May our ecological conversion be manifest in our concerns for our neighbors and our common home.

The Rev. John Abubakar, OSA Chief Sustainability Officer, Villanova University

Learn more about the 2026 Season of Creation