By Sr. Doreen, SSJD
St. Francis of Assisi and the ending of our Church cycle of Creation
“The human community and the natural world will go into the future as a single sacred community, or we will both perish in the desert.” Thomas Berry
The Ordo on the Anglican Church calendar marks today, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, as ‘Season of Creation concludes’. What came to my mind as I thought about today was Francis of Assisi’s ongoing message that all of earth’s creatures live in dynamic relationship with each other. His understanding and gift to all of us was that all of creation, ourselves included, have a particular role, all are related, and all play a part. This is especially illustrated in his “Canticle of the Creatures” – a song of creation as a familial, interdependent system.
The Canticle of the Creatures
by St. Francis of Assisi (words taken from St. Anthony’s Shrine website)
“Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, yours is the praise, the glory and the honor and every blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no one is worthy to speak your name.
Praised be you, My Lord with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom you bring us light.
And he is lovely, shining with great splendor, for he heralds you, Most High.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars.
In heaven you have formed them, lightsome and precious and fair.
And praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, through air and cloud,
through calm and every weather by which you sustain your creatures.
Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, so very useful and humble, precious and chaste.
Praised by you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth,
who sustains us and directs us bringing forth all kinds of fruits and colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be you, my Lord through those who forgive for your love and who bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.
Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death from whom no living being can escape.
How dreadful for those who die in mortal sin.
How blessed are those she finds in your most holy will for the second death can do them no harm.
O praise and bless my Lord, thank him and serve him humbly and grandly!”
On a day when we combine both St Francis and the conclusion of the Season of Creation it was a time for me to ponder the diversity of life, of how interdependent everything and everyone is, and how vulnerable everything and everyone is.
There is in these themes and truths something of a proposal for a response to the environmental crisis, the biodiversity crisis, that we find ourselves in today. For Francis and for us today this proposed solution is based on a vision of humans as brothers and sisters to each other and to all creation. It begs a question to all of us, one that Francis himself asked of himself: ‘how do we relate to this richly diverse Earth as brothers and sisters?”
God must delight in diversity, for creation certainly abounds with it! It is sacred and it belongs to God, God has never relinquished creation and all of creation. The world and everything in it belongs to God and God has never relinquished anything of the world. We are to echo the love, care, and responsibility that God has toward the created world, a response that is founded upon love and justice not exploitation and abuse. For St Francis, and for us, this proposes the humble approach to living in solidarity with creation, a familial or kinship ethic: living in relationship to the Creator and creation, to love God, each other, and all of creation, the whole world and cosmos. It is from this that our stewardship responsibilities flow.
Today in combining both St. Francis and the conclusion of the Creation cycle it is an opportunity to recognize the importance of recovering our ecological niche, our role in creation, based on our identity as ‘in-relationship-to’ the rest of the Earth. It is a call to look at the choices that we make – both as individuals and as a society. It is a call to simplicity, to an ‘enough is enough’ attitude in our use of resources. And it is a response of gratitude and compassion.
From the book “Care of Creation” edited by several people, I share the following quote:
“St Bonaventure reminds us that creation emanates from the mouth of God who speaks a Word of love. This Word transforms what is nothing into something that lovingly reflects the heart of God. Creation is the eternal generation of the Word from God, the self-communication of love, God giving Godself away, eternally. … God, who is the purest of love within, creates not out of any need but out of desire to manifest something of the mystery of the divine truth, goodness, and beauty outwardly and to bring forth creatures capable of participating in the splendor of divine life, God’s life.”
The call to live in the family of creation challenges us to be open to a sense of respect, appreciation of diversity, and a willingness to share – to overcome our sense of ‘it’s all about me’ and be more concerned with the wellbeing of others.
In the hymn book ‘Sing a New Creation’, Anglican Church of Canada – a meditation #92 In Sacred Manner May We Walk.
In sacred manner may we walk upon the fair and loving earth,
In beauty move, in beauty love the living round that brought us birth.
We stand on holy ground. We stand on holy ground.
In sacred manner may we see the luminous and loving stars,
With wonder and with awe behold ever new creative powers.
The heavens shows us God. The heavens show us God.
In sacred manner may we touch the suspirant and loving green.
Give honour and give gratitude for shade, for bloom, for gift unseen.
The trees shall shout for joy. The trees shall shout for joy.
In sacred manner may we hear the pounding waves, the scaring fire,
The rushing wind, the singing night, the forest hymn, the loving choir.
The morning stars shall sing. The morning stars shall sing.
In sacred manner may we live among the wise and loving ones,
Sit humbly, as at sages’ feet, by four-legged, finned, and feathered ones.
The animals will teach. The animals will teach.
In sacred manner may we walk upon the fair and loving earth,
In beauty move, in beauty love the living round that brought us birth.
We stand on holy ground. We stand on holy ground.
(just a note: the word suspirant is derived from the Latin word suspīrāre meaning “to take a deep breath”.)