Justin Carisio, OFS National Formation Commission

St. Francis of Assisi was inclined to express himself in words, and we are fortunate that a number of his prayers, letters, and other writings have been preserved and passed down to us. They give us insight into his vision of the gospel life, and they help us understand what he thought and believed.[1]

Among Francis’s writings is his magnificent outpouring of praise, “The Canticle of the Creatures.” Perhaps nothing that Francis wrote resounds in our world today as much as this great poem.[2]  It echoes through the centuries as both a religious and literary text. We encounter it in many ways. As a written work certainly, but also adapted for hymns and songs and interpreted creatively in the visual arts. It underlies our association of Francis with nature, affirming for us his love of the created world and his understanding of how all of creation, by its very existence, praises the Creator. The Canticle also supports his designation as patron of ecology. More recently, Pope Francis’s encyclical subtitled “On Care for Our Common Home” takes its title from the anaphora of the Canticle, “Laudato si’, mi’ Signore” – “Praised be you, my Lord.”

It is further testament to the authenticity and originality of St. Francis that even though we encounter the Canticle often and in different ways, his song retains its power to inspire us. Even so, we should not take the Canticle for granted. Using our imaginations, we can bring fresh insights to the poem. We can find ways to keep his voice resonating anew for us. Consider a few thoughts along these lines:

• The Canticle captures Francis’s spirit and presents his worldview in a way unmistakably his own. G.K. Chesterton famously said that the Canticle “is a supremely characteristic work, and much of St. Francis could be reconstructed from that work alone.”[3] In other words, if you would know the heart and mind of Francis, begin with the Canticle.
• Francis was a medieval man. His understanding of the cosmos and God’s creation was very different from our We are amazed by striking photos from the Webb telescope of innumerable galaxies billions of light years away. But in the world of the 13th century, there was no such comprehension of space and time. Francis would have believed the earth to be the center of the universe. He did not know the sun’s immensity or how it generated heat and light. He would not have known the physical nature of the moon, or that the stars were other suns. Because of this, Francis’s view of creation may have been more mystical and intimate than ours, which has been formed in part by the science of our time. As we enter the spirit of the Canticle, we can rejoice in our modern awareness even as we try to see the world through his medieval eyes.
• The creatures named in the first section of the Canticle (verses 1-9) are inanimate. Francis does not include any animals; he mentions plants (flowers and herbs) only in passing. We can speculate as to why he chose the creatures he did. There was nothing in his experience of creation grander than Sir Brother Sun or more strikingly beautiful than Sister Moon and the stars. None more useful than Sister Water or more essential to life than Sister Mother Earth. Few were more mysterious than Brother Wind and Brother Fire.
• Each of the creatures he names exists in obedience to God. In “The Admonitions,” he reminds the friars (and us) that “all creatures under heaven serve, know, and obey their Creator, each according to its own nature, better than you.”[4]
• Although Francis is very focused on the literal attributes and physical reality of the creatures he names, keep in mind that as with any great poem, there are other meanings implied or symbolic. Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap, offers one such insight, “Brother Wind, Sister Water, and Brother Fire can obviously be seen as references to the Spirit… Each one presents a reflection in itself of the triune presence, thus pointing beyond itself to the power, wisdom, and goodness of God.”[5]
• If there is a single adjective that describes Francis’s view of creation more than any other, it may well be “beautiful.” Francis uses that word three times in the Canticle.
• Francis does not appear to be concerned with the idea of creation as much as with his experience of and relationship to other creatures. In this the poem prepares us for the awe that Francis reserved for the Incarnation – the Son of God assuming human nature in Jesus Christ, true God and true man.[6]
• Francis introduces people into verses 10 and 11, which he added during a time of unrest in Assisi.[7] These verses speak to us in our own We should take to heart his hope that God will be praised by those “who give pardon for Your love,” “bear infirmity and tribulation,” and “endure in peace.”
• Verses 12 and 13 were composed as Francis lay dying.[8] To see death as sister, “an instrument of God’s presence,”[9] was one of Francis’s profound insights, and verse 12 is well worth contemplating again and again.
• Francis wrote the Canticle in the vernacular – his native Umbrian – and it is considered one of the earliest works of literature in Murray Bodo, OFM, tells us the Canticle “can only be fully appreciated in its original form, because the nuances, rhythms, and sounds of a great poem are the most exquisite articulation of its native language.”[10] The Internet offers examples of the Canticle recited in the original form. Search for one and listen. Even those of us unfamiliar with Italian can benefit from its beauty spoken or sung as originally composed.

We do well to return to the Canticle repeatedly to share Francis’s joy, to join in his wonder, and to rediscover with him our universal kinship with creation. Let us continue to celebrate his beautiful “poetic praise of God.”[11]

These images are of a series of quilt hangings, by Cindy Wesley OFS, depicting The Canticle of the Creatures, located at the San Damiano Retreat Center, CA.

[1] Thaddée Matura, OFM. Francis of Assisi Writer and Spiritual Master, (Cincinnati: Franciscan Media, 2005), 8

[2] The English text can be found in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (FA:ED), edited by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM Cap., Wayne Hellmann, and William J. Short (New York, London, and Manila: New City Press, 1999), Vol 1, 113

         [3] Chesterton, G. K., Saint Francis of Assisi, (New York: Image Books, 1957) 90

[4] See Admonition V, FA:ED, Vol 1., 131. Also, Robert J. Karris, OFM, The Admonitions of St. Francis: Sources and Meanings, (St. Bonaventure, New York: The Franciscan Institute, S. Bonaventure University, 1999), 81

[5] Regis J. Armstrong, St. Francis of Assisi, Writings for a Gospel Life, (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994) 211

[6] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2019) 116-117

[7] FA:ED, Vol 1, 113-114

[8] FA:ED, Vol 1, 113

[9] Armstrong, 238 Which one?

[10] Murray Bodo, OFM, Poetry as Prayer: St. Francis of Assisi, (Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 2003) 58.

[11] FA:ED, Vol 1, 113. See also http://franciscanseculars.com/a-visual-meditation-st-francis-in-art/.

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2023/06/26/return-to-the-canticle/

 (This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Spring Issue #109)

by Donna Hollis, OFS , National Councilor

The National Ecumenical Committee has changed faces and set different goals during the many years of its existence. Our focus has been on the outreach and involvement of those on our Joint Committee (TSSF Third Order Society of St. Francis, OEF Order of Ecumenical Franciscans and OLF Order of Lutheran Franciscans).

In our Regions, we have many members who are also involved with JPIC, and this goes hand in hand with Ecumenism. When working with Justice and Peace, we inevitably work with those in different denominations and spiritualities.

One of our goals is to make sure all our regions that are in ministry with either JPIC or Ecumenism work together. We would like to hear everything that is happening in our different regions regarding these ministries and post any events or information on our new and updated website under Ecumenical Committee. We want to have more input and invite everyone to experience/participate in what our Brothers and Sisters are doing in our Order. It is important to support each other in our endeavors.

I took over as temporary Chair when our Brother Mike Carsten, OFS, completed his term in 2021. After the call for a new chairperson, the NEC chose a member from our Order to continue the leadership of the Ecumenical Committee.

I would like to introduce our new National Ecumenical Committee Chair, Ronald Lacey, OFS. He is from the St. Elizabeth of Hungary Region and attends the St. Anthony Fraternity in Roxbury, MA. Ron will share his experiences with Ecumenism and how it has affected his life. He will direct our Ecumenical Committee with the goals we have discerned in moving forward.

Thank you Ron, for accepting this role in our Order. We appreciate your leadership with humility and collaboration. The Team looks forward to working with you.

Ronald Lacey, OFS

I am honored to work with the members of the Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee – Marie Bianca, Donna Hollis, and Carolyn Townes – and I am grateful to the National Executive Council for giving me this opportunity. As Franciscans, we are called to be instruments of peace. We are needed! We humans create many divisions – all sad – but perhaps none is so tragic as the division we create in the name of religion.

I was raised by a Roman Catholic mother and a Southern Baptist father, so I guess you could say that ecumenical awareness has been with me from the cradle. The two sides of my family have always gotten along peacefully, so I’m taken aback when I hear religious people (whether Christian or non-Christian) speaking disrespectfully of people of other faiths or denominations.

In college, I studied medieval history, with a special interest in religion and spirituality. One of my “concentrations within my concentration” as an undergraduate was Jewish studies. After receiving my master’s in medieval church history from the University of Notre Dame, I taught Latin for a little while. For the past twenty years, I have worked in one of the libraries at Harvard University, where I have had the good fortune to take classes at the Harvard Divinity School, which is a major center of interreligious study.

I am blessed, in Boston, to live among many different Buddhist traditions, and I have studied meditation with several of them. From my living room window, I can see a mosque and, just past it, the steeple of an Orthodox church, where I sometimes go for Vespers. St. Columbkille’s, where I often attend early morning Mass, is within walking distance from my house and next door to a yeshiva; the lads, with their hats, curls, and prayer shawls, running to school past the Gothic-revival belltower, create a scene to inspire Chagall.

So many ways to call upon God, all within a half-mile radius. This is, I believe, cause for great joy! I have found great wisdom in the traditions I have studied and neighbored. Who doesn’t have something positive to share?

My hope for the Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee is that we may help initiate dialogue and understanding where they don’t yet exist and deepen them where they have already begun. I very much look forward to working with the Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee on these goals, and we look forward to hearing your ideas as well!

Marie Bianca, OFS

As a young person growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania, I always had a strong pull to deep spirituality. I attended a Catholic college―Marywood College. There I majored in Religious Studies and Psychology. But more importantly, I started a life of ministry in high school that has followed me through the years. Each step along the way has drawn me further and further into a deeper relationship with our Creator. My family gave me a rich foundation to build upon.

Fast forward to the late 1990s―I became professed as a Secular Franciscan in 1994; the journey continued to reveal deepening layers of who and what I am. I have served at all levels of leadership―local, regional, and national. What I find to be particularly enriching today is learning from other faiths to be the best Catholic I can be. The practice of each faith I have had the joy to experience has taught me a beautiful facet of faith that enriches who I am and how I live. Locally, I have served on the Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest for four years. I have served on the National Committee of Ecumenical/Interfaith work for three years. During that time, building new relationships with my brothers and sisters has been the central focus of my work. The work can be teaching modules of a retreat, attending community events, scheduling important and enriching topics of conversation, writing articles for our newsletter, research and building community. We have been recently blessed with two new members to our committee and the work can now expand and develop foundational expressions of unity.

Carolyn Townes, OFS

My name is Carolyn Townes, OFS, and I currently serve as the National Animator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. Ecumenism is a part of who I am and so closely linked with peace and justice, that it was a natural fit to team with the Ecumenical/Interfaith Committee. I grew up Baptist and Methodist, becoming Catholic as an adult. I was so moved by the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults process that I became a catechist in the process for more than 10 years. I also worked and served with an Atonement friar whose work was ecumenism, which further deepened my knowledge of other faith traditions. Serving as a board member on two Franciscan organizations as well as ministering to a third has also given me the opportunity to connect and minister with ecumenical Franciscans. It is truly a joy to work with our brothers and sisters who worship and pray differently but love with mercy just the same.

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2023/06/19/introducing-the-new-member-of-the-national-ecumenical-interfaith-committee/