WE NEED ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI

 

There are people whose lives speak deep truths long after they have died. St. Francis of Assisi (of thirteenth century vintage) is so needed in today’s society. This wild man breathed energy into a period that was creating great divides between the rich and the poor. He proved to be like the yeast in the bread making process: the Christian faith gained a new vitality.

 

We mark his feast day this week on October 4.

 

For this moment focus on his wonderful, warm and compassionate relationship with nature. He preached to the birds (obviously creatures worthy of respect) and he named the world as ‘Brother sun and Sister moon.”

 

Not only were they valuable, but they were family. The creatures of the earth were family.

 

This connection, this frame of mind must once again become ours. We, Western European people, have been so long separated from creation that we regard it simply as a resource to be exploited and then dumped when it is no longer useful to human beings.

 

One of the best examples of this exploitation is the way that human beings have exhausted the soils that grows food and left these depleted land to become a desert that is no longer productive. What would ever happen if we exhausted the huge grain growing areas of the Ukraine and North America?

 

We need St. Francis to teach us to value and care for all of creation. There is serious dialogue in today’s society about the survival of the earth. Will humanity so heat up the atmosphere that it becomes very difficult to produce food? 

 

You will never care for and nourish what you do not love!

 

This is where St. Francis needs to lead us to value and cherish all of creation; not use it and then cast it aside!

 

Spend time today getting in touch with the life-giving power of clean water that we need for our bodies to survive. Breath in clean air and value how important it is for the next few moments of your life. After coming out of a summer filled with days of smoke filled air, we can appreciate how important each breath of fresh, clean air actually is.

 

No one will ever work to preserve and sustain the natural world unless they love it. The survival of the planet is a question of our hearts. How well do we love the earth and all the life it contains? How hard are we willing to work to sustain and promote the goodness of all creation?

 

May the spirit of St. Francis soak into your soul. May his love of creation grow to become your love for all that lives, moves and sustains our earth.

 

Humanity is in need of such an awakening. Once again, we must reconnect with the earth and all forms of life. In this connection may we grow to love and cherish all forms of life. May we value every piece of soil, the summer rains and sunshine.

 

Our future depends on how we reconnect with nature and how we once again value all forms of life.

 

St. Francis, teach us how to love and cherish nature as you did.