St. Francis of Assisi
Dear brothers and sisters,
The month of October is important for many reasons. The Church celebrates it as the month of the Holy Rosary. Also, it is the month of “respect for life.” On October 4, we celebrate the feast of one of the most popular saints in the Catholic Church: St. Francis of Assisi.
One of the important messages of St. Francis to the world is respect and love for nature. Nowadays, we are facing different kinds of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc. One of the reasons behind these disasters is the misuse of nature by mankind.
The earth and everything within is given to man to protect and to hand over to the next generation. We have the right to use it for the good of all. But because of human selfishness, it is misused and now we are facing the consequences. It is here that the message of St. Francis is very relevant.
St. Francis felt compassion for everyone, from lepers to birds. He simply recognized that our Father in heaven loves everything He has made, and it only makes sense that we should too. If we have no compassion, it is a sign that we do not truly possesses the love of Christ.
Francis preached the Christian doctrine that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of human sin. As someone who saw God reflected in nature, "St. Francis was a great lover of God's creation." In “The Canticle of the Sun,” he gives God thanks for Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth, all of which he sees as rendering praise unto God.
On November 29, 1979, Pope John Paul II declared Francis the patron saint of ecology. On March 28, 1982, John Paul II said that Francis' love and care for creation was a challenge for contemporary Catholics and a reminder "not to behave like dissident predators where nature is concerned, but to assume responsibility for it, taking all care so that everything stays healthy and integrated, so as to offer a welcoming and friendly environment even to those who succeed us." The same Pope wrote on the occasion of the World Day of Peace, January 1, 1990, that Francis "invited all of creation – animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother Sun and Sister Moon – to give honor and praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we are at peace with God, we are better able to devote ourselves to building up that peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples."
“The Earth has enough resources to meet the needs of all but not enough to satisfy the greed of even one person.” This statement was given by Mahatma Gandhi and is relevant even today.
Fr. John Samuel