Saint
Francis: A Model for Stewardship
By Edgar Castellini
Gentle St. Francis of Assisi (1181 - 1226) can be thought of as a patron saint for stewardship of our environment. His life and legacy are a positive affirmation of the profound connection between religion and the care of the earth. Moreover, Francis's life affirms the love-filled embrace of earth, humanity, and creation that we now call Stewardship. Francis' biographer notes his "entirely direct love of nature" and that "Every being was for Francis a direct word from God." This "infused Francis with a constant joy in God, an uninterrupted tendency to thankfulness"(256-57). The real fountain-source of care for our earth must be this joy in the creation, a genuine love of nature. Stewardship begins in thankfulness.
Next, Francis realized that one of the great obstacles to such thankfulness was self-seeking, striving to possess and to gain more of the world's goods. Against such self-interest Francis set "Holy Poverty," the embrace of a lifestyle poor in goods but rich in the spirit. He had seen how self-interest sets the human being against the earth. He had seen how self-interest becomes an obsession. In modern terms, the greatest adversary to sustainability is the collective mania for making money to raise one's living status and personal wealth ever higher and higher. An embrace of holy "earth-poverty," a willingness to accept living standards at a sustainable level, should be an important element in our environmental future. Stewardship shows itself in a temperate and moderate lifestyle.
Finally, Francis is noted as the founder of an broadly accepting Order, a way or path for everyone of goodwill. His Orders included a way not only for the monks and friars, but for lay persons, married persons, men and women, business people, farmers and workers, to take up the ways of thankfulness, holiness, and poverty. His was a work in and for the world, the earth and its people, its animal and plant inhabitants as well as its human beings. Stewardship is rooted in universal brotherhood and sisterhood.
All these qualities and attributes Francis incorporated in his famous Canticle, written originally in Italian. This can be read as both a morning and an evening prayer: Praised be thou, my Lord, with all thy creatures..." Religion's root words, re and ligare, signify re-tying. Religion reties the human being to the rest of Creation -- the soul's source and its womb. In this sense, how could stewardship be anything else but religious?
Stewardship finally can be built on the understanding that the elements are holy and praiseworthy and friendly to a human race that lives in harmony with them. Francis's poetry and life are a model for those seeking a lifestyle in harmony with "our sister Mother Earth."
First Francis praises the Lord:
Most high omnipotent good Lord
Thine are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all benedictions.
To thee alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention thee.
Then Francis praises Brother Sun and Sister Moon:
Especially the honored Brother Sun,
Who makes the day and illumines us through thee;
And he is beautiful, and radiant with great splendor
Bears the signification of thee, Most High One.
Praised be thou, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,
Thou hast formed them in heaven clear and precious and beautiful.
Then Francis praises the four elements:
Praised be thou, my Lord, for Brother Wind,
And for the air and cloudy and clear and every weather,
By which thou givest sustenance to thy creatures.
Praised be thou, my Lord, for Sister Water,
Which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be thou, my Lord, for Brother Fire,
By whom thou lightest the night,
And he is beautiful and jocund and robust and strong.
Praised be thou, my Lord, for our sister Mother Earth,
Who sustains and governs us, And produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbage.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
And serve Him with great humility.All quotations taken from St. Francis of Assisi, by Johannes Jorgensen (New York: Image Books [Doubleday], 1955).
© World Stewardship Institute, 409 Mendocino Ave., Suite A Santa Rosa, CA 95401-8513 Tel. (707) 573-3160 Send mail to our Webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.