Season of Creation 2022: Celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
“The fullness of joy is to behold God in everything.”
Julian of Norwich
Pledge
of Commitment to Protect and Heal God’s Creation
Today we
renew our covenant with God and with one another in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
We commit
ourselves to help protect God’s creation; to heal injustice and poverty.
We stand
together against all threats to life.
May we discover
some new beauty every day in God’s creation: the sunrise and sunset,
Birds, flowers and trees, rainbows in the sky, the stars, the many forms of life in the forest.
We will
remember always that God speaks to us through the beauty of
creation, and we will do our best to answer God’s call to reverence all creation. AMEN.
Reading
The universe
unfolds in God, who fills it completely.
Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain
trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face.
The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to
discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all
things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us the
‘contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our
hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves.
(Laudato Si #233)
It is no coincidence that, in the canticle in which Saint Francis praises God for his creatures, he goes on to say: ‘Praised be you, my Lord, through those who give pardon to your Love.’ Everything is connected! Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society. (Laudato Si # 91)
Reflect
When/where do you see the footprint of God?
How do
these readings invite you to see all of creation as “kin”?
Prayer: Canticle of the Sun
by St. Francis of Assisi
Most
High, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours
are the praises, the glory, the honor and all blessing.
To
You alone, Most High, do they belong.
Most
High, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours
are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing,
To
You alone, Most Hight, do they belong,
And
no man is worthy to mention Your Name.
Be
praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
Especially
through my lord, Brother Sun,
Who
brings the day; and you give light through him.
And
he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of
you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised
be You, my Lord, through Sisters Moon and Stars,
In
heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised
be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And
through the air, cloudy and serene,
And
every kind of weather through which
You
give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised
be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
Which
is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised
be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through
whom you light the night and he is beautiful
And
playful and robust and strong.
Praised
be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
Who
sustains us and governs us and who produces
Varied
fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised
be You, my Lord,
through
those who give pardon for Your love
and
bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed
are those who endure in peace
For
by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised
be You, my Lord,
Through
our Sister Bodily Death,
From
whom no living man can escape.
Woe
to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed
are those who will
Find
Your most holy will,
For
the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise
and bless my Lord,
And
give Him thanks
And
serve Him with great humility.
Hymn: Canticle of the Sun
Marty Haugen
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