Sister Mother Earth

“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,

who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.”

Mother.

This word caught my eye. Out of every element mentioned in The Canticle of Creatures, St Francis addressed Brother Sun as “Sir Brother Sun”, which shows his respect and reverence and Sister Earth as “Sister Mother Earth”. The motherly character of the earth must be very real for him.

Mothers give and desire the best for their children. To this date, if there is only one piece of chicken, my mother would give it to me, sacrificing her own appetite. She keeps quiet when her children raise their voice. She will readily prepare the food whenever the children are coming home. Actually, she would always prepare something even when there is no one coming home. “Just in case…” is what she has in her mind. Always ready to welcome, always ready to embrace.

No wonder St Francis addressed her as Sister Mother Earth. She always provides, she accepts quietly, even when she is not treated fairly. With whatever she has, she tries to provide – not just anyhow provide, but always provides abundantly.

Sister Mother Earth is our home. She is our safety because she protects as long as she can. The question is always whether we can appreciate what she has done for us? Do we care for her? Do we take her for granted as if she does not need our care at all?

For Reflection,

• Where is your home? Where do you find ‘safety’?
• Do you feel safe with God?