Franciscan Sisters of Peace

BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL
Pope Francis launched his new agenda for a post-pandemic world on October 3rd, with the release of a new encyclical on human fraternity.  He signed “Fratelli Tutti,” his third encyclical, at the tomb of St Francis of Assisi, just prior to today’s Feast of St. Francis, October 4th.  This new encyclical advances the previous one, “Laudato Si,”   which celebrates its fifth anniversary.  “Laudato Si” begins with the words “Praise be to You, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun……” from the Canticle of Creation, a poem written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian in 1224, by St Francis of Assisi.  This poem-prayer summarizes the core spiritual and theological vision of the saint.  
Calling the elements of nature such as the sun, “brother”; or water, “sister”; or, praising our “sister, mother earth;” was not merely a use of poetic phrases of endearment, but the revelation of a profound mystical vision of the relationality of a universe full of Christ.  Because of his deep relationship with Christ, St. Francis realized his “familial” relationship to all creation.  He did not consider himself superior to any other creature but saw himself as part of creation.    His spirituality was one of a descending solidarity and equality between humanity and all creation.  Because creation shares a union with God rooted in Christ, he named every dimension of creation, “brother” or “sister.”  Thus, creation reveals a deep and fundamental connectivity to God with, in and through Jesus Christ, that includes the human person; and is a place of encounter with God’s goodness, power, wisdom, beauty, truth, and love. Christ transforms the entire created universe into a sacrament of God’s generous love.  
In this view, nothing in the universe exists autonomously or independently.  Everything exists in relationship. This intuition has flourished through many cultures, from the most primal and original to the scientific.  First Nation Peoples speak of the ‘web of life,’ while post-modern quantum physics asserts the physical interconnectedness of all things at a sub-atomic level.  It was St. Francis’ relationship with Christ that led him into the consciousness of a vast horizon of relatedness that changed his internal focus.  He saw that reality is saturated with the goodness of God. It changed how he lived.  He appropriated a deep valuing of the human person that embraced, most especially, those who were deprived of an experience of their own value: the economically poor, marginalized, sick, elderly, the children, women, those of other faiths, or no faith.  All belong! 
We, humans, are privileged to live within a profound belonging that is a gift, by our participation in this transcendent and trans-species familial relationship, with Christ at the center.  At the same time, we also experience a profound disconnection in our human lives due to the plethora of deconstructive philosophies and actions that abound today. 
In addition, we are subjected to a fake ‘market place belonging’ fostered by what Thomas Berry calls the catechetics of advertising that purports to identify and promote what is good, true, beautiful, and sacred.  This catechesis of false unity demands a corrective to its teachings that seek to subjugate, destroy and exclude others, such as women, the poor, children, creation itself, those treated unjustly because of difference, as well as the proliferation of violence in its many forms. This Franciscan optimistic vision has the potential for a renewed moral vision for our time and is incorporated by Pope Francis in his recent encyclicals.  Franciscans are keen to overcome separateness by uncovering what is already present through God’s creating love in our world; opaque though it may be.  Peace and justice don’t need to be brought about or added onto human living.  Rather they await “a reveal,” an awakening and empowerment, from within people.  Peace and justice are gifts already present within the graced activity of the continuing Incarnation. In the Franciscan spiritual vision, we have a deeply foundational theological and philosophical basis for reverence and inclusion. Celebration and blessing of the uniqueness of each and every element of nature, including human persons, witnesses to a peaceful belonging based on real relationship as brother and sister. 
I suspect that recent themes of Pope Francis’ writings and homilies offer clues to his call to re-start our commitments to Christ: a renewed focus on our interconnected relationships with Christ at their center, our urgent need to encourage and support the creativity of the youth, and of those who have not been welcomed to the table of economic, social or religious justice.  Pope Francis has said that the Holy Spirit “opens horizons, reawakens creativity, and renews us in fraternity.”  Are we willing to risk our comfortable and competitive separateness by living such a radical vision?  Let us say, “Amen.”
Kathryn King, FSP
September 15, 2020

 Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis - Sept 17

Lord Jesus Christ, who reproduced in the flesh of the most blessed Francis,
the sacred marks of your own sufferings,
so that in a world grown cold our hearts might be filled with burning love of you,
graciously enable us by his merits and prayers
to bear the cross without faltering
and to bring forth worthy fruits of penitence.
We pray this prayer to you God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.  Amen.