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Saint Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology – Br. David Vryhof
Br. David Vryhof
Francis of Assisi
Today we remember Francis, the little poor man of Assisi. There is a lot about him that is worth remembering.
Saint Francis was fascinated by the poverty of Christ – his lowly birth in Bethlehem, his inauspicious upbringing in Nazareth, his wanderings through Galilee and Judea as an itinerant preacher and healer, his terrible suffering on the Cross. He sought to imitate that poverty in his own life, forsaking his family’s wealth to embrace a life of simplicity and suffering. Like Christ, he was drawn to the poor, the sick and the outcasts, and overcoming his initial repulsion, chose to live and work among them.
We remember today his boundless love for God and for God’s Church. He frequently wept at the sight of a crucifix and spent hours and even days in prayer. He was a charismatic preacher and many chose to follow him. Thousands joined the religious orders he founded: friars and nuns and lay people embraced his message and his values. He was a peacemaker, a reconciler, a lover of all.
On this final day of the Season of Creation, we remember especially his love for the whole of creation and for every living creature. In the created order he saw God’s love revealed for all to see, as the psalmist did when he wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows God’s handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Every creature was precious – every living thing offered to God its unique praise and thanksgiving by reason of its very existence. Every mountain and hill, every valley and river, the sun and moon and stars of the sky – they all spoke to him of the majesty, the power, the wisdom, the generosity and love of the Creator. He was in awe of it all and lived each day with a profound sense of wonder and gratitude. He called the sun his “brother” and the moon his “sister.” Every object or force of nature, every creature, was a gift in his eyes, and he recognized his deep connection with them all. How we need his witness today to remind us of the beauty and preciousness of the earth on which we live, and of the sacredness of every plant, every animal, and every person that calls it home. Francis modeled for us a kinship with all created things and vehemently challenged our notion of ourselves as owners with license to use its resources in whatever way we wish.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Saint Francis of Assisi the patron saint of ecologists because of the unique bond with nature he exemplified. His unwavering commitment to simplicity and his renunciation of material wealth, coupled with his desire to live in harmony with every living thing, serve as a timeless example for those who strive for a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the earth.
Today we remember the little man of Assisi and honor him. But we also pledge ourselves to follow his example: to live simply, to honor and love the earth and all its creatures, to forsake the pursuit of material wealth, to recognize our kinship with all that God has made.
Blessed Francis, pray for us.
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By Creation – SSJEBr. David Vryhof
Francis of Assisi
Today we remember Francis, the little poor man of Assisi. There is a lot about him that is worth remembering.
Saint Francis was fascinated by the poverty of Christ – his lowly birth in Bethlehem, his inauspicious upbringing in Nazareth, his wanderings through Galilee and Judea as an itinerant preacher and healer, his terrible suffering on the Cross. He sought to imitate that poverty in his own life, forsaking his family’s wealth to embrace a life of simplicity and suffering. Like Christ, he was drawn to the poor, the sick and the outcasts, and overcoming his initial repulsion, chose to live and work among them.
We remember today his boundless love for God and for God’s Church. He frequently wept at the sight of a crucifix and spent hours and even days in prayer. He was a charismatic preacher and many chose to follow him. Thousands joined the religious orders he founded: friars and nuns and lay people embraced his message and his values. He was a peacemaker, a reconciler, a lover of all.
On this final day of the Season of Creation, we remember especially his love for the whole of creation and for every living creature. In the created order he saw God’s love revealed for all to see, as the psalmist did when he wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows God’s handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Every creature was precious – every living thing offered to God its unique praise and thanksgiving by reason of its very existence. Every mountain and hill, every valley and river, the sun and moon and stars of the sky – they all spoke to him of the majesty, the power, the wisdom, the generosity and love of the Creator. He was in awe of it all and lived each day with a profound sense of wonder and gratitude. He called the sun his “brother” and the moon his “sister.” Every object or force of nature, every creature, was a gift in his eyes, and he recognized his deep connection with them all. How we need his witness today to remind us of the beauty and preciousness of the earth on which we live, and of the sacredness of every plant, every animal, and every person that calls it home. Francis modeled for us a kinship with all created things and vehemently challenged our notion of ourselves as owners with license to use its resources in whatever way we wish.
In 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Saint Francis of Assisi the patron saint of ecologists because of the unique bond with nature he exemplified. His unwavering commitment to simplicity and his renunciation of material wealth, coupled with his desire to live in harmony with every living thing, serve as a timeless example for those who strive for a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the earth.
Today we remember the little man of Assisi and honor him. But we also pledge ourselves to follow his example: to live simply, to honor and love the earth and all its creatures, to forsake the pursuit of material wealth, to recognize our kinship with all that God has made.
Blessed Francis, pray for us.