April 2026 WATERritual: Celebrate Earth Day: Our Power, Our Planet

April WATERritual

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM EDT
“Celebrate Earth Day: Our Power, Our Planet”

with Diann L. Neu and the WATER Community
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83285953460

The video can be watched as always on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WCw_fxtJ_qo

Preparation:

If you can, go outside for this ritual. Have near you spring flowers or herbs.
Welcome, Land Acknowledgment, and Call to Gather
Today we gather to “Celebrate Earth Day: Our Power, Our Planet.” Earth Day, April 22, is set
aside to remind us to cherish planet Earth. It calls us to return to life. Have you noticed the
beauty of Earth in your neighborhood? In mine, crocuses, cherry blossoms, daffodils, magnolias,
red buds, tulips, violets, azaleas, rhododendron, dandelions, and grass are bursting with spring
energy. Flowering trees are blooming. Birds are singing; kids are playing; dogs are barking.
Every day there is another flower, another blossom, another shower of beauty, more singing
birds, and allergies. Earth is renewing itself. How are you noticing the beauty of spring around
you?
All over the world people are making connections between ecology, war, and their own lives.
We are all interconnected to the pain, power, and mystery of creation. Our Power, Our Planet.
Each life form relies on another within our solar system for life sustenance. Think of the images
of the moon from the Artemis II crew’s flyby. Wow! Remember images of Earth from the
Hubble Space Telescope capturing high-resolution, clear images of deep space, including
galaxies, black holes, and the birth/death of stars. Amazing!
Hold your herbs or flowers.
We gather here to pray for Earth, to remind ourselves that we are stewards of this planet and
we must protect it so that the Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water Return.

Song: “The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water Return” sung by Libana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTyBQelWS18&ab_channel=LadyBluemoon

The Earth, the Air, the Fire, the Water
Return, return, return, return (2x)
Haye, haye, haye, haye
Hayo, hayo, hayo, hayo (2x)
Prayer: “Praise Divine Providence”
We call upon Earth, our planet home, with its beautiful depths and soaring heights, its vitality
and abundance of life.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Earth! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon the mountains, the high green peaks and meadows filled with flowers, the knobs
and the foothills.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Mountains! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon the waters that rim Earth, horizon to horizon, that flow in our rivers and streams,
that fall upon our gardens and fields.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Waters! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon the land that grows our food, the nurturing soil, the fertile fields, the abundant
gardens and orchards.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Land! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon the forests, the great trees reaching strongly to the sky with Earth in their roots
and the heavens in their branches.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Forests! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon creatures of the fields, forests, and seas, our siblings, the wolf and deer, the eagle
and dove, the great whale and the dolphin, the beautiful orca and salmon.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Creatures! Breathe your life through us!
We call upon all those who have lived on Earth, our ancestors and our friends who dreamed the
best for future generations and on whose lives our lives are built.
With all creation, we praise you, Divine Providence:
Thank you, Ancestors! Breathe your life through us!

Film: “I AM the Earth,” from the I AM project, created by Free Spirit (1.39)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuqsIYfCmdc&ab_channel=IAM

Litany: “Holy Is Your Creation” from Stirring Waters: Feminist Liturgies for Justice by Diann L
Neu
Climate change is real, and scientists have shown that humans are causing it.
Holy is your Creation.
We can make a difference and slow climate change down.
We are the stewards of your Creation.
Half of the world’s forests no longer exist.
Holy is your Creation.
We can use cloth instead of paper products.
We are the stewards of your Creation.
In the past forty years humans have directly or indirectly killed half of all existing wildlife.
Holy is your Creation.
We can visit a national or state park to remember the holiness of the natural and wild world.
We are the stewards of your Creation.
Sea levels are rising, and by 2100 the White House could have an ocean view.
Holy is your Creation.
We can choose public transportation and reduce our carbon footprint.
We are the stewards of your Creation.
We can reduce and reuse before recycling.
Holy is your Creation.
We can eat less or no meat. Rainforests are being replaced with farms largely used to feed
livestock. That same food could feed us instead.
We are the stewards of your Creation.
Climate change is real, and scientists have shown that humans are causing it. We also have the
power, however, to slow it down.
Holy is your Creation; we will be the stewards.
We can redirect our investment in Earth to reverse the destructive path that we have created.
We can save ourselves, our children, and our planet.
Holy is your Creation; we will be the stewards.

Film: “Nature is Speaking” – Julia Roberts is Mother Nature, Conservation International
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmVLcj-XKnM

Reflection / Group Sharing
What have you heard? What have you felt? Let us take time together in groups of 3 or 4 to
share what Earth means to us, and how we will take care of it.
Whole Group Sharing
Prayers of the Faithful
Let’s take a look at what is going on in the world that needs a burst of energy, a burst of our
energy – to fuel peace.
This is Earth Month, this Earth Day, let us promote renewable energy and a sustainable,
equitable future.
Let us pray that the energy of spring will fuel peace on planet Earth.
NASA has successfully launched Artemis II, its first astronaut mission to fly around the moon
since 1972. The four astronauts splashed down on Earth on Friday, and reunited with families
and fellow NASA astronauts yesterday.
Let us pray that their energy and the energy of spring will fuel peace in the
cosmos.
President Trump says the US Navy will “blockade any and all ships” trying to enter or leave the
Strait of Hormuz after talks failed over Iran’s “nuclear ambitions.” Let our prayer be for all the
Iranians–women, men, and children–who are living in great fear that the President’s threat to
annihilate them and their civilization was real. The way the Trump administration is waging this
war violates international law and could be considered a war crime.
Let us pray that the energy of spring will somehow fuel reason, morality, and sanity for
the U.S. and Iran.
Major wars continue to rage including the Russia-Ukraine war, Israel-Gaza conflict, and the
Israel-Lebanon disaster.
Let us continue to be a witness to the stubborn hope of Spring and Resurrection that out
of death will come new life.
ICE agents and the National Guard roam our neighborhoods and terrorize immigrants and all of
us.
Let us take the energy of spring and surround immigrants with safety and peace.
This week discussions regarding the 25th Amendment and Donald Trump suggest removing him
from office due to alleged mental unfitness, aggressive rhetoric, or dangerous actions.
Let us take the energy of spring and send it to the Cabinet and Congress to fuel peace.
What else/who else do we need to pray for?

Prayer: Let us take a deep breath. And another one.
Breath in, breath out. (2x)
Breath in peace, breath out weariness.
Breath in peace, breath out anxiety.
Breath in peace, breath out stress.
Breath in peace, breathe out conflict.
Breath in, breath out.
You can pray this breath prayer anytime you need it – breath in what you need like love or
hope, and breath out what you want to get rid of like fear or despair.
I pray this Breath Prayer often, anywhere, sometimes even massaging my neck which holds my
stress. The energy of spring fuels peace in me and reminds me of my work of loving the world.

Video: “Messenger” by Mary Oliver, read by Eden Bodnar (5.16, last half no words)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63o3esCQQ08
My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird-
Equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
Keep my mind on what matters,
Which is my work,
Which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
Which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
And these body-clothes,
A mouth with which to give shouts of joy
To the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
Telling them all, over and over, how it is
That we live forever.

Take Action to invest in Earth. Commit to doing one thing each day. The Opportunities Are
Endless! 
Look out the window and notice Earth life.
Stare at a tree, touch its bark, hug it.
Take a walk. Listen to the birds.
Plant herbs, flowers, a tree.
Use public transportation or bike for climate friendly alternatives to driving.
Catch rainwater and use it to water the lawn and garden.
Clean debris from the streets in your neighborhood, the beach, and other waterways.
Save energy at home. Turn off lights and heating when you don’t need them.
Be aware of your shopping habits:
• Avoid products with a lot of packaging.
• Use ecofriendly and environmentally safe products.
• Use cloth or paper shopping bags and in the event of plastic shopping bags always
reuse before recycling.
• Use products that do not utilize fossil fuel.
Sign climate change related petitions.

As you become aware of the effects of climate change on our planet, be loud and spread
your knowledge to get everyone’s attention on this important issue!!
Go Plant-based for Our Planet: Try a New Recipe
A recent study shows that the meat industry causes a lot of emissions,
which is another argument for eating more vegetarian or vegan food.
Cooking vegan is not that complicated. Especially different Spaghetti
dishes are easy to cook without meat. Here is one example of how
delicious it can be to go plant-based for our planet.
Spaghetti Aglio e olio
Time: 25min
Ingredients for 2 people:
• 250g Spaghetti
• 4 gloves of garlic
• 1 chili (or one small spoon chili flakes)
• 2 spoons parsley
• 50ml olive oil
• 1 spoon Italian seasoning
• ½ spoon salt
• 1 small spoon black pepper
First, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Then finely chop the garlic and
parsley. Place both ingredients in a small bowl.
After the spaghetti is cooked, take a pan and heat it on the stove. Pour the olive oil into the pan
and add the chopped garlic and parsley chunks from the small bowl.
Drain the noodles well and add them to the hot pan. Salt and pepper can be added while the
noodles are in the pan. Then also add the chili flakes and the Italian seasoning to the pasta.
Finally, you can swivel the pan and turn the noodles in it, so that the spices are distributed.
After all the ingredients have been distributed in the pan, a little olive oil can be added if
necessary. The dish is now ready to serve. Bon Appetit.

Song and Video (6.14) “Ever with You” by Jan Phillips (© 2012), video and photos by Joni Luna,

I Feel You Everywhere
I feel you in my heart, I feel you in my hands,
I feel you in the stars, I feel you in the sand,
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.
I feel you in my arms, I feel you in my feet,
I feel you in the eyes of everyone I meet
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.
Chorus.
I feel you in the clouds, I feel you in the storm,
I feel you in the cold, I feel you in the warm,
There is nowhere I can go and not find you.
I feel you all day long, I feel you late at night,
I feel you in the dark, I feel you in the light,
There is nowhere I can go and not find you.
I feel you when I sing, I feel you when I cry,
I feel you breathing me, I feel you when I sigh,
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.
I feel you in my words, I feel you in my love,
I feel you all around, I feel you up above,
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.
Chorus.
I feel you in my womb, I feel you in my breast,
I feel you in the east, I feel you in the west,
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.
I feel you in the Earth, I feel you in the clay,
I feel you when I work, I feel you when I pray,
I feel you everywhere, inside every cell
there is no place here that you do not dwell
I Feel You Everywhere.

Sending Forth
Let us send one another forth to connect with the cosmos and fuel peace.
While leading a retreat a few weeks ago, I gave the participants the task of writing a prayer to
connect with the cosmos. The format I suggested is: “May the moon… stars… sun… This is what
I wrote.
As we go forth,
May the moon shine its light of peace in all neighborhoods, nations, and throughout the
cosmos.
May the stars radiate hope and energy to the weary and hopeless.
May the sun warm the immigrants and unhoused, and shine a light on those who protest ICE.
May the ocean tides wash away violence, abuse, and war.
May the birds sing a contagious song of new life for the U.S. and the world.
May the trees shelter squirrels, birds, and children at play.
May the flowers burst forth their colors, and brighten even the dullest days with love and
beauty.
May we go forth with the energy of spring to fuel peace, within us and around the
cosmos.
Go forth and write and live your own prayer today.
Amen. Blessed Be. May It Be So.

© 2026 Diann L. Neu, dneu@hers.com