Legends tell us that St. Francis of Assisi wandered off into a tree and began to sing this canticle as birds swarmed towards him and began singing with him. History says this canticle developed more gradually in a cycle of three stages.
The Canticle of the Creatures of St. Francis of Assisi
“Most High, all-powerful, good Lord
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing,
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
And no human is worthy to mention your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
Especially Sir Brother Sun
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
And bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
And through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
Through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
Who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
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,
And who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
And bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
For by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Deawth,
From whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.”
The Canticle of the Creatures – By St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi’s Great Love of Nature
St. Francis of Assisi is so well known for his love of nature that on his feast day many priests bless animals and pets who are brought to the church for that special honor. In many Catholic Churches, this is a special celebration which includes not only dogs and cats, but hamsters, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds and other small pets. And in the outlying areas of the church where farms and ranches are prevalent, livestock is also often blessed in honor of the great saint who loved all of God’s creation, but especially His creatures.
After the horrendous experience that St. Francis had during the war as a prisoner, he came to have a profound and what many considered at the time to be unnatural new vision of all that is beautiful in the world. He had seen that which was ugly, and now he had the unique ability to look upon a bug crawling on a piece of grass and be in awe.
Many people thought he was insane at the time, but by the time of his death, his holiness was well-renowned and ‘The Canticle of the Creatures’ was spoken openly among men as a testament to the great day when the Pope declared the Franciscan Order a valid new order among the church and according to legend, even the beasts of the field celebrated with St. Francis in a tree as he shouted it aloud for the first time.
Sources: Saint Francis – A Film by Michele Soavi, Francis of Assisi Complete Writings in Three Volumes, The Saint, The Founder, The Prophet – Compiled by Regis Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., J. A. Wayne Hellmann, O.F.M. Conv., William J. Short, O.F.M., The Little Flowers of St. Francis – By Raphael Brown, Saint Francis of Assisi – By Thomas of Celano, God’s Fool: The Life and Times of St. Francis of Assisi, By Julien Green, Clare of Assisi, The Lady – Translation by Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., Francis and Clare: The Complete Works, Tranlsation by Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., and Ignatius C. Brady, O.F.M., Clare of Assisi: Her Spirituality Revealed in her Letters – By Claire Marie Ledoux
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