Vision of Creation in the Canticle of Creatures

The Canticle of Creatures reveals Francis’ “experience of the fundamental unity and coherence of reality.”[1] In his approach to the universe, Francis never felt himself as an “isolated subject facing objects in the world”.[2] Seeing himself as one love-centre in the universal brotherhood; Francis composed the Canticle of Creatures which provided the complex relationship he saw among God, human kind and other creatures. Keeping this general notions in mind, let us turn to the text of the Canticle:

Most high, almighty, and good Lord,
Yours is the praise, the glory, honour, blessing all.
To you, Most High, alone of right they do belong.
And no mortal man is fit to mention you.
Be praised, my Lord, of all your creature world,
And first of all Sir Brother Sun, who begins the day,
And light you give to us through him,
And beautiful is he, a gleam, with mighty splendor:
Of you, Most High, he gives us indication.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sisters Moon and Stars:
In the heavens you have formed them,
Bright and fair and precious.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
Through Air, and cloudy, clear, and every kind of weather,
By whom you give your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, my Lord, through, Sister Water,
For greatly useful, lowly, precious, chaste is she.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night,
And fair is he, and gay, and vigorous, and strong.
Be praised, O Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
For she sustains and guides our life,
And yields us diverse fruits, with tinted flowers and grass.
Praise and bless my Lord, and thank him too,
And serve him all, in great humility.”[3]
One should see the Canticle as a very rare medieval document, in that its main purpose is to inspire people and teach them how to think of creation, how to deal with creation with gratitude, appreciation and respect.

Interdependence in the Canticle
Francis recognized the autonomous existence of creatures and their values. In the Canticle, as Francis assumed, “there was a complex, a multifaceted relationship implying much interdependence among creation, humanity and God.”[4] Creation and humanity having a certain autonomous character, depend each other. This is made more concrete in the case of Brother Sun. As Roger D. Sorell puts it, “the sun functions according to divine plan, burning the day. The sun relies on God for its origin and continuing function, people rely on the sun to do its duty.”[5] The concept of utility and interdependence returns with Mother (and Sister) Earth. But Francis primarily thanks in terms of usefulness, in the sense of its productiveness. Even here his consideration is that people should thank earth for the sustenance, for the bountiful crops she produces, in the amount she determines, and in the seasons she allots.

At times Francis also wishes human beings to be in some ways subordinate to specific creatures. Francis and his brothers depended on the fire at night. In this vision, there is no place for the question whether people should summit to creatures, even when they threaten properly, health or sanitation. According to Francis, “a person should obey creatures’ wishes so that they can do what hey like with him, as far as God allows them.”[6] One should have trust in God, who governs, all creatures for their benefit. The Canticle is not composed out of the sadness at man’s misuse of creatures at the time of its composition. One can find the greatest expression of Francis’ sense of intimacy with, dependence on and appreciation for the things in creation.

[1] Eric Doyle, St. Francis and the Song of Brotherhood, p.39.
[2] Ibid.
[3] . Translation of James Meyer OFM, The Words of Saint Francis, PP> 238-240.
[4] D. Sorrell, St. Francis of Assisi and Nature, Tradition and Innovation in Western Christian Attitudes Toward the Environment, p.130
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid., p.132.