Brother Sun

“Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun,

who is the day and through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour;

and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.”

On a typical hot day, I complain about Brother Sun. It’s too much to handle. He makes me uncomfortable, especially when he is present together with Sister Humidity. However, without the sun, life will not be good either. My mother used to complain that the clothes after the laundry were damped and not thoroughly dry when Brother Sun hid behind the clouds. I used to get a cough easily without the sun. And do you remember the time when you had a cold or flu?

How nice it is to be under the sun for a while. Oh Brother Sun, how important you are for our life, and yet so underappreciated with our complaints for the necessary discomfort you bring to our life.

The artwork for Brother Sun represents the hope and prayer that we can hold on to as we look at the sun. The sun is there whether we can see it or not. The sun will come out again whether we like it or not. The sun will shine on us the same no matter if I am a sinner or a saint. Even at times when we prefer to be covered by the dark cloud of our sin, the sun will be there, waiting patiently until we open up ourselves to encounter him.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun. His intense heat and brightness remind us of our powerlessness and lowliness. His radiant glory gives us glimpses of the splendour of Your glory.

In his beautiful rising, we remember that there is always a hope in our life. There is always tomorrow to look forward to. There will be another day.

In his picturesque setting, we remember that there will be a gentle welcome and embrace at the end of our life.

For Reflection,

• Who are the people in your life whom you like to complain about, who brought some discomfort for you, but are important in your life? Praise God for them.

• Who will be there for you regardless of whether you want / do not want them in your life?
• What gives you hope and energy to get up every day?
• What gives you comfort and assurance to come home at the end of your days?