Song of Reconciliation is a letter from the 4 Franciscan Ministers General to the whole Franciscan Family for instruction & reflection on the Canticle of Creatures. 

“The Canticle of Creatures is a song of praise & Reconciliation.”  “It summarizes Francis’ view of God and the world; creatures and human beings; himself and the Most High God.”  In the “Conclusion” of this letter the Ministers General provide us with numerous “Admonitions” or “Challenges”; refer to the following list.

Admonitions or Challenges

• Joyfully celebrate this 8^th centenary of the Canticle
• Make the Poverello’s clear and prophetic gaze your own
  • Recognize God’s imprint in every creature
  • Live the call to universal fraternity by embracing all of creation – animate and inanimate
• Rediscover the beauty of being pilgrims & strangers
• Become custodians, not masters, of creation
• Become brothers and sisters of every living thing
• Become artisans of Peace and Forgiveness
• Live vulnerability as openness to others
• Integrate death into the great mystery of life
• Welcome every reality – from the brightest to the darkest within an experience of praise and restitution
• Live and promote: no lives are meaningless; no creatures are voiceless; no situations are outside of Divine Compassion
• Everything is embraced by our Father’s tenderness; everything/everyone is an occasion for praise
• See beyond appearances; grasp the dignity and beauty of all
• Become like Francis (who walked in the footsteps of Christ)
  • Become Singers of Reconciliation and Hope
  • Become Re-kindlers of Child-like Wonder
  • Become Givers of Thanksgiving
  • Become Caregivers of our Common Home

Please read the whole Song of Reconciliation  Centenary Resources: Canticle of the Creatures – Secular Franciscan Order – USA

Go back and meditate/ponder each part individually. Let the message be totally absorbed into your being – who will you become as you continue your spiritual journey – your pilgrimage to eternal happiness with the Trinity.

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Summer 2025  Issue #116)

by Kathleen Molaro, OFS

National FY/YA Commission Chair

As Catholics, we believe that one way God loves us is through other people. Jesus commands us to love one another. “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples: If you love one another.” (John 13:34)

In her autobiography, The Long Loneliness, Dorothy Day emphasized this truth: “We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other.” The YouFra commission has long advised that the first step in bringing the gospel to young people is to build relationships with them. But the question arises, “How can we do that?” Although there are many ways, there are three necessary attributes to develop.

Practice Virtues

What virtues will help us build relationships? St. Paul tells us, “Put on … heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.” (Colossians 3:12) When interacting with young people, these virtues give them a glimpse of the depth of God’s love. The way you connect and respond to a younger person is essential.

Be Authentic

Young people are tired of fake news, fake online profiles, AI rather than humans, and people whose actions do not match their words. An article in the online publication, The Conversation, states “this generation has grown up in a digital age where social media and online personas are part of everyday life – as are misinformation, disinformation,” and I would add, outright dishonesty. (https://theconversation.com/topics/relationships)

As a result, young people have had to develop an acute ability to discern what is genuine from what is artificial.

Dorothy Day also wrote in her autobiography: In a good relationship, two people strive to be their most authentic selves. It is in relationships that we find out who we really are, if we embrace the vulnerability of exposing more and more of ourselves to another person.

Young people need to know we’re not perfect and are searching for answers and striving for purpose just as they are. That truthfulness allows them to connect with you in trust, openness, and confidence.

Courageously Encounter

The word “encounter” is a buzz word lately, and rightly so. Don’t we all crave community? The presence of others? A real and honest connection between ourselves and the world? We can’t build relationships from a distance. Pope Francis urged us to be like Christ and become a culture of encounter. He explained, “when we go into the street, every man thinks of himself: he sees, but does not look; he hears, but does not listen.” In short, everyone goes their own way. And consequently, “people pass each other, but they do not encounter each other.” (Pope Francis: Morning Meditation, For a Culture of Encounter, Sept. 13, 2016)

Don’t just pass by a young person. Be creative and courageous. Just as Francis learned when he tried to avoid lepers, we need to see them, hear them, engage with them, and love them as Jesus would.

Kathleen joined the St. Francis YouFra in Phoenix for an evening outreach they’d planned for new students. She asked individuals, “Why did you decide to come tonight?” The conversation revealed their thirst for community and faith sharing opportunities, and helped deepen their relationships with the YouFra leaders.