Creation Care 165 (Thursday, June 12)
CC 165: An Exceedingly Good Land
This month's theme is An Exceedingly Good Land, chosen from the Torah Portion Numbers 14:7, our June reading from the Eco Bible: An Ecological Commentary, Vol. 2.
Selection from the Laudato si', sections 10-13:
Saint Francis of Assisi
10. I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace.
11. Francis helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human. Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them “to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason”. His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, “from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister’”. Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behaviour. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled.
12. What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wildflowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty. Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.
My appeal
13. The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share. Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.
- from the ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS: ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
Note: In May we studied sections 1-3. This month we are looking at sections 10-13. You are welcome to read sections 4-9, as well as view the entire encyclical, with citations, at the link below.
Reflection on Creation by Rabbi Yitz Greenberg: CREATION
Video: The Canticle of Creatures by the Word on Fire Institute. “Known to be one of the earliest works in Italian literature, ‘The Canticle of Creatures’ is St. Francis of Assisi’s hymn of praise to God. Written with the whole of creation in mind, ‘The Canticle of Creatures’ challenges us to recognize the beauty of God’s creation.”
June 2025
Week 1 Eco Bible, Vol. 2 (Numbers 14:7)
Week 2 Laudato Si’ (Sections 10-13)
Week 3 Many Voices
Week 4 Creation Care
May 2025
Week 1 Eco Bible, Vol. 2 (Leviticus 19:9-10)
Week 2 Laudato Si’ (Sections 1-3)
Week 3 Many Voices (this month: focus on the Bahá’í faith.)
Week 4 Creation Care: Carl Sagan and the Pale Blue Dot
Week 5 Creation Care: St. Francis of Assisi and the Canticle of the Sun
Blessings,
Liz
Eco Bible: An Ecological Commentary
Vol. 1 ©2020 Vol. 2 ©2021
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development
Authors: Rabbi Yonatan Neril & Rabbi Leo Dee
Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home
©2015 Libreria Editrice Vaticana Author: Pope Francis
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