St. Francis of Assisi wrote the Canticle of Creation 800 years ago. Felician Sisters in North America and Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity collaborate in reflecting on two stained glass windows at Felician Village, Manitowoc. Wisconsin. Sister Laura Wolf comments on Brother Fire and Sister Water as we near the Feast of St. Francis on October 4.
Praise be to you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
We end this series of reflections on the Canticle of the Creatures with two of the elements of life that brought much comfort and joy to St Francis. Brother Fire whose love of God brought light to the night, warmth, and beauty to those who shared it and playfulness and strength to Francis and Sister Water who was for St. Francis practical, humble and useful. In a sense these two creatures embody the personality of the Saint. He was a poet and a mystic given to generosity of the Spirit and joyful interaction with those he met. He was also practical, He needed to get things done, accomplish work for the Church and build a new Community of men and women to follow in his footsteps. From Sister Water he learned the importance of humility and usefulness, Franciscan family history is replete with tales of his impulsive acts of penance and celebrates his impulsive generosity when it was needed. If you look closely, however, history also relates to his daily consistent and committed daily service of spreading love and praise to the Father.
It is quite amazing that these two creatures which are so readily available to Praise God can also be a source of trauma and heartache. Uncontrolled wildfires and flooding are destructive but a lack either element can cause frigid living conditions and famine. Francis identifies that when all creatures work together in harmony, they create a world that sings praise to the Lord every day.
Praise be to you, my Lord, through Sister Water who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
