The earth and its environment are among the major
concerns of people around the globe in this first quarter of the 21st
century. People of faith respect the
world and even consider it sacred simply because they see creation as a gift
from God.
That St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) respected and
loved creation is clear from the stories recorded in his biographies written by
Thomas of Celano (a Franciscan friar, 1200-1265) and by St Bonaventure (the
Franciscan theologian and doctor of the Church, 1221-1274), and from incidents found
in the so-called Legend of Perugia.
It is in this latter work, the memories of those who
were close to St Francis, that we find the origin of the saint’s famous “Canticle
of the Sun,” or "Praise be to you, O Lord." Even as he struggled with poor health and asked God for strength,
Francis was inspired to compose a song to praise God for all his creatures.
He told his brothers, “Therefore, for his glory, for
my consolation, and the edification of my neighbor, I wish to compose a new ‘Praises
of the Lord’ for his creatures. These creatures minister to our needs every
day; without them we could not live; and through them the human race greatly
offends the Creator. Every day we fail to appreciate so great a blessing by not
praising as we should the Creator and dispenser of all these gifts” (Legend of Perugia, 43).
Many stories in the biographies of the saint reflect
his respect for creation, especially for animals. St Bonaventure tells of the
occasion when Francis came across a huge flock of birds of various kinds, ran
up to them without their flying away, and appealed to them, “My brothers, you
have a great obligation to your Creator. He clothes you with feathers and gave
you wings to fly, appointing the clear air as your home, and he looks after you
without any effort on your part.” The birds listened, and did not leave until
he blessed them with the sign of the cross. He later, it is said, “began to
reproach himself for his negligence in never preaching to the birds before” (Bonaventure, Major Life, XII.3).
He freed a rabbit, rescued lambs being taken to
slaughter, and even is said to have moved a worm from the walkway lest it be
stepped on. Celano wrote, “He (Francis) rejoiced in all the works of the hands
of the Lord and saw behind things pleasant to behold their life-giving reason
and cause. In beautiful things he saw Beauty itself; all things to him were
good…He forbad brothers to cut down the whole tree when they cut wood, so that
it might have hope of sprouting again…He called all animals by the name brother…” (Celano,
Second Life, 165
Clearly St Francis’ concern for creation was motivated
by respect and honor for the Creator. One who knew Francis recalled, “We who
lived with him saw him find great cause for interior and external joy in all
creatures; he caressed and contemplated them with delight, so much so that his
spirit seemed to live in heaven and not on earth…he composed ‘The Praises of
the Lord for His Creatures’ a short time before his demise. It was his way of
inciting the hearts of those who would hear this canticle to give glory to God
so that the Creator would be praised by all for all his creatures” (Legend of Perugia, 51).
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