Francis, Patron Saint of Ecology
On November 29th, Franciscans throughout the world
celebrated the 35th anniversary of the naming of
Saint Francis as Patron of Ecology by John Paul II. Today many believe that we stand at a
critical moment of Earth’s history. The environmental questions Francis faced
were different than the questions we might have today. The environment in his
time did not face the same global threats as we do, but the way he approached
the world and his relationship to nature steer us in the right direction.
We can point to Francis’ passionate and sensory love of all creation as God’s
handiwork. His profound appreciation of
the beauty and goodness of creation filled him with even deeper love and
gratitude for God, the source of such abundant blessing and diverse fullness.
We can point to Francis’ passionate and sensory love of all creation as God’s
handiwork. His profound appreciation of
the beauty and goodness of creation filled him with even deeper love and
gratitude for God, the source of such abundant blessing and diverse fullness.
Francis so naturally experienced God’s presence in creation that he intuited
that the “natural” both points to and participates in, the “supernatural.” He
sensed that the God who became flesh in Jesus Christ is still, and always will
be, enfleshed in the world. In other
words, Francis’ vision of creation was both sacramental and incarnational. Francis thus offers us a creation-affirming
alternative to an approach that overemphasizes the “stain of original sin.”
Material for this
article was taken from the website (http://francis35.org/english/35th-anniversary-reflection)
created to provide various resources to help with the celebration of the 35th
Anniversary.
submitted by: Marita Flynn, O.S.F., Franciscan Spirituality Committee
