FSPA puts Franciscan heritage in action today

by Paulynn Instenes, FSPA

Father Keith Warner, Order of Friars Minor, in his April 2010 article in U.S. Catholic, suggests that a 21st century Franciscan can learn environmental science from the 12th century patron of ecology. In 1979 Pope John Paul II named St. Francis “heavenly patron of those who promote ecology.” Francis saw nature as a teaching tool that helped him learn about God. He spent months during each year just being in nature. According to Father Keith, “There was something in that experience of being intimately related to creation itself that helped him grow more fully into the mystery of God.” Father Keith added that “we desperately need time in nature today because we are so alienated from the earth and from ourselves.”

Since ecology wasn’t a term in the 12th century, what does it mean for us 21st century Franciscans? A program entitled Awakening the Dreamer stresses that the major issue of our time is teaching the head and heart to work together around our current environmental problems. How does one take the dreams and prayers of St. Francis and move them into environmental action? What is it that is ours to do in this century?

One of the last prayers St. Francis created was the Canticle of Creation. The prayer reminds us that we humans are as dependent on the elements of creation as they are dependent on us. With his marvelous respect for creatures of all kinds, for sun, moon, stars, water, wind, fire and earth, Francis came to see that “all creation gives praise to God.”

I propose praying St. Francis’ Canticle of Creation as we carry out the FSPA Land Management Plan concerning our land on St. Joseph Ridge. I encourage everyone to move from the head,(understanding the ecological principles), to the heart (caring about the ecological needs) and finally moving to the hands (doing something about environmental issues). See the right side of this page for prayer and action suggestions.

As Franciscans we are called to sustain and nurture our environment. We need to ensure that the seventh generation from now will have an environment where they too can live and give praise to God. Ilia Delio, a Franciscan sister, ends her book, A Franciscan View of Creation, with a short list of “what is ours to do.” In that list she includes this, “it is helpful to realize that we live in an evolutionary universe with Christ as the center and goal. To be Franciscans in an evolutionary universe is to implement actions that help move the universe towards its fulfillment in Christ. What we do matters to the matter of the universe.”

The ancient questions are still the questions for today: “Am I my brother’s/sister’s keeper?” “Who is my brother, my sister?” When we can see all of creation as brothers and sisters and answer “yes” to the ancient questions, then we move from understanding into taking responsibility from head to heart and finally, into doing and caring for all of creation by our actions. May our journey from head to heart to hands be filled with God’s peace, love and energy. May we implement the sustainable practices Francis of Assisi advocated in word and deed.

For more information about the Awakening the Dreamer program mentioned above visit www.awakeningthedreamer.org.