St. Francis Day

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.

St. Francis was born into a wealthy family in the 13th century, but after a long illness he received a vision to rebuild a church that had fallen into disrepair while spending time in old churches and ministering to the lepers in the area. He then sold all of his belongings and decided to follow Christ in poverty. He quickly gained a following for his preaching and his zeal for loving all people and all things. It was said that walking by a field full of birds he asked the birds if he could preach to them, when they didn't fly away, he began and when he finished, they flew around him and perched on his arms. Another story was that there was a wolf that was attacking a village, even their children so he went there and talked with the wolf and made an agreement that if the village would feed the wolf, the wolf would no longer attack the villagers and their livestock, the wolf offered his paw to shake in agreement and there were no more attacks. He started the Franciscans who vows of poverty and charity. He is known in the Roman Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Animals and Ecology.

How beautiful and glorious are the Fall colors with the bright yellows and maple reds coming into fullness. How beautiful the waves when they crash against the shore and shoot up into towers of water. How beautiful are the deer as they walk through our communities and we learn to live side by side. St. Francis was often called a fool in his day because he lifted up the beauty of the world, he saw animals and all life as his siblings, and he served the poor and lepers with an all consuming love. 

In our Gospel reading today, we hear Jesus talking with his disciples. The first is a request from the disciples to increase their faith. Oh, wouldn't that be nice, wonderful! Wouldn't that be great! Who hear would not want to have their faith increased? To be more certain of who and whose we are, to be more loving, to be filled with the Spirit to love the world and all who are in it better. Jesus teaches them and us that even a little bit of faith, even that of a mustard seed contains great power, telling a mulberry tree to be uprooted. A mulberry tree was a great root system that it is like an iceberg, the tree is like seeing the tip and there is much more beneath the ground or surface. Especially in a rocky soil which is much of Israel, it is nigh impossible. Jesus then tells them a parable that shows that our goal in faith and goal in life isn't to strive after great power or great faith, but to serve as we are called, and be satisfied with a job well done rather than ambitious. 

On Friday evening, I was down on highway 61 part of the Rally for Democracy and there were many signs to choose from as there are multiple issues facing our nation and our world. One of the signs which I have upheld is simple, "Every day is Earth Day!" We are completing our Season of Creation this Sunday, but at the same time, we should remember that every season and every Sunday is a Sunday of Creation. For just as there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, while we are alive and have breath in our bodies, nothing can separate us from the world in which we live. No matter how tall of buildings we build, how many parking lots and sidewalks we tread upon, and how much time we spend inside our homes and vehicle, we, as humans, are a part of the world. We are very blessed in our community and county to know this and see this every day, surrounded by God's glory. The health of the world is the health of humans. The health of all species of animals, birds, amphibians, fish, insects, and microbes are tied to our health. The presence and vitality of trees and plants are linked to our vitality, health, and well-being. Healthy habitats, eco-system, and the planet itself provide us humans a healthy place to live. We, as humans, have that power, not through faith, but through technology and science and power to remove the mulberry tree and even mountains for our greed, not just our needs. 

Jesus tells us to consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. How God has created a world in which they are cared for and how we can be a part of this creation, not apart from all that God has created and is creating in our time and in this place. May we, as a church and as the human race, find the ears to hear to Jesus invitation to humble ourselves and serve the world and all life. Amen.