Franciscan Moment: :¿Cómo habla el corazón? Una reflexión sobre el Cántico de las Criaturas

Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sister Marcolette Madden and Sister Carmen Marie Diaz collaborate to present a timely reflection on St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures. It is the 800th Anniversary of this poem written near the death of the saint.

Transcript

What happens when the heart overflows with gratitude and joy?  How does the heart speak?  It dances, sings, and writes poetry: Miriam’s “Victory Song” proclaiming Israel’s deliverance from slavery, Zechariah’s “Benedictus” thanking God for the gift of His Son, Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” celebrating Easter.

How did Francis of Assisi’s heart speak?  The youthful Troubadour of Assisi who entertained crowds with songs of chivalry would later sing songs of praise to God spontaneously. How fitting that Francis, whose life’s journey to God led to a profound union with the Crucified Lord, would express his overflowing love for God in a poem. 

 The Canticle of the Creatures is like the capstone in architecture.  It represents the culmination of a journey characterized by continuous conversion.  As Brother Bill Short, OFM, points out, the poem “didn’t just fall out of the sky.  It was the fruit of ten or fifteen years in which Francis’s world expanded.” Gradually Francis detached himself from the privileged status of the urban elite to zero status as a poor person living on the outskirts of the medieval city. 

What experiences marked a shift in Francis’ perspective?  Many!  One of the most defining moments, however, was his encounter with the Leper because it changed his viewpoint from disgust to acceptance, from disdain to respect. He removed his blinders.  He saw the face of Christ!  Love has the power to transform.

As the years progressed, Francis’ deep reverence for Creation kept expanding to include all forms of life, animals and plants: birds, the Wolf of Gubio, trees which were to be given a chance to live.  “Treat Fire with reverence out of respect for the Creator,” a directive Francis gave his disciples, signifies how he included inanimate objects in his “playlist” of praise to God for all His creatures: Rocks, the sun, the moon, dirt.

Centuries later Teihard de Chardin, S.J., reflected: “Nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.  On the contrary, everything is sacred.  God’s creative power is infused with love, the whole world is an entire testament to His affection.” 

In Laudato Si’ Pope Francis affirms the viewpoint of St. Francis of Assisi when he prays: “All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe, and in the smallest of your creatures.  You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.”

May each of us be a troubadour whose heart is overflowing with reverence for creation in all its forms – a troubadour who sings, prays, and acts.