The Canticle of the Creatures is a hymn of praise that recapitulates Francis’ journey to God in and through the beautiful things of creation… But the Canticle also represents a lifetime of conversion, as Francis strove to be a brother to all things and to praise God in the cloister of the universe despite his sufferings, feelings of abandonment and darkness. In the Canticle, composed one year before he died and while he was laying ill in a small dark hut near San Damiano, Francis sang of the human family (brother-sister- mother) as the model for all relationships. The Canticle of the Creatures is the capstone of his theological vision.
Beautiful stained glass in Greccio Friary depicts ‘The Canticle of the Creatures’ by Bee Liang.
The Canticle reminds us that we humans are as dependent on the elements of creation as they are dependent on us. With his marvellous respect for creatures of all kinds, for sun, moon, stars, water, wind, fire and earth, Francis came to see that all creation gives praise to God. Brother Sun and Sister Moon praise God just by being sun and moon. …
As the final song of his life, the Canticle reveals to us Francis’ deep reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation. For Francis it is the Incarnation that gives insight into the goodness of the created world as the sacrament of God. Creation and Incarnation are intimately united in such a way that we cannot truly grasp our relationship to creation apart from understanding our relationship to Jesus Christ.
Beautiful stained glass in Greccio Friary depicts ‘The Canticle of the Creatures’ by Bee Liang.
Francis’ relationship to Christ did not follow a narrow path but grew to the widest possible horizon. The deeper he grew in relationship with Christ, the more he found himself intimately related to the things of creation as brother. We might say that his relationship with Christ changed his internal focus. He developed a deeper consciousness of “relatedness” and came to realise he was related to all things no matter how small, because everything shared in the primordial goodness of God, the source of his own life. Francis discovered that he was part of the cosmic family of creation.
An excerpt from Ilia Delio, OSF, “A Franciscan View of Creation: Learning to Live in a Sacramental World.” Volume 2 of The Franciscan Heritage Series. Published by The Franciscan Institute, St Bonaventure University, St Bonaventure, NY, 2003.
As part of the Friday Growth Series (A Call to Holiness) organised by the Catholic Spirituality Centre, Friar Derrick Yap was invited to share on Franciscan Spirituality.
‘Touch of an Embrace’ talk by Friar Derrick
In his talk entitled ‘Touch of an Embrace’ , Friar Derrick mentioned that ‘touch is really a very important part of our Franciscan spirituality.’
Find out and experience yourself the touching struggle, touching beauty, touching the deformed and finally touched to conform.
Why do we, as Christians, have a share in the responsibility of caring for our common home? How are we praising God through the caring for creation?
Friar Derrick sheds light on Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, helping us to understand the heart of our faith. It is through our identity as God’s creation, that we recognise all of creation are our brothers and sisters, for God is our Creator and through Him we were made.
As we celebrate the annual Season of Creation every September, may we truly realise how caring for creation is an integral part of living out our faith.
Catch ‘??? ??? ??????’ with Friar Esmond Chua,OFM discussing the ‘World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation’ (1st Sept). Friar Esmond is currently in charge of the Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation(JPIC) of the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei).
Have you ever wondered why the Franciscan Friars in Singapore look after the Church of St Mary of the Angels rather than the Church of St Francis of Assisi? ?
The chapel of St Mary of the Angels in Assisi was significant in the life of St Francis. He not only found his vocation in the chapel, but also spent the final days of his life there.
As we celebrate the feast of the Saint Mary of the Angels today, find out how St Mary of the Angels became the patroness of the Franciscan Order and how some parts of history have transcended time.
St Anthony even exclaimed: “Through you, Paradise has entered our world!” St Anthony found great delight and strength in invoking the “sweet name of Mary”, the “New Eve” and “Star of the Sea”, and his devoted imitation of the poor, humble Virgin in her poverty, littleness and purity of heart was such that his holy life became the very presence of Mary in the world.
And in the light of his being like Mary, who “always had her mind raised straight up to God in the contemplation of heavenly things”, it is no wonder we have the delightful account of St Anthony holding and adoring the Child Jesus in his arms.
May we learn from St Anthony, in the words of St John Paul II, that “devotion to Mary, by highlighting the human dimension of the Incarnation, helps us better to discern the face of a God who shares the joys and sufferings of humanity, the ‘God-with-us’ whom she conceived as man in her most pure womb, gave birth to, cared for and followed with unspeakable love from his days in Nazareth and Bethlehem to those of the cross and resurrection”.
FRANCISCAN PRAYER
Mary, our Queen, Holy Mother of God,we beg you to hear our prayer.
Make our hearts overflow with divine grace and resplendent with heavenly wisdom. Render them strong with your might and rich in virtue.
Pour down upon us the gift of mercy so that we may obtain the pardon of our sins.
Help us to live in such a way as to merit the glory and bliss of heaven.
May this be granted us by your Son Jesus who has exalted you above the angels, has crowned you as Queen, and has seated you with him forever on his refulgent throne. Amen.
A prayer of St Anthony of Padua, whose feast we celebrate on 13 June, after the Marion month of May when devotions are made in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
