Brother Sun and Sister Moon 🕊

St Francis of Assisi (1181 AD – 1226 AD) is known as the Patron Saint of Animals and is commonly thought to be the main saint who showed concern for animals. St Francis was famously known to preach to the animals and he is reputed to have persuaded a wolf to stop attacking the town’s people of Agobio if those people promised to feed the wolf for the rest of his life. Francis was a radical who broke away from traditional monastic life and founded a group of itinerant preachers which, in 1209, was given papal approval. For Francis, the divine was in everything in nature, such as the sun, the moon, mountains, wind and water and, of course, in animals. He called everything his ‘brother’ or ‘sister’, such as ‘Brother Sun’ and ‘Sister Moon’.

St Francis said,

‘Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission to be of service to them wherever they require it.’

‘If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.’

This great sense of the interconnectedness and interrelatedness of things was expressed in his famous:

The Canticle of Brother Sun or Praise of the Creatures:

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord,

Praise, glory, and benediction, all are Thine,

To Thee alone do they belong, Most High,

And there is no man fit to mention Thee.

Praise be to Thee, my Lord, with all Thy creatures,

Especially to my worshipful brother sun,

The which lights up the day, and through him dost Thou brightness give;

And beautiful is he and radiant with splendour great;

Of Thee, Most High, signification gives.

Praised be my Lord, for sister moon and for the stars,

In Heaven Thou hast formed them clear and precious and fair.

Praised be my Lord for brother wind,

And for the air and clouds and fair and every kind of weather,

By the which Thou givest to Thy creatures nourishment.

Praised be my Lord for sister water,

The which is greatly helpful and humble and precious and pure.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire,

By the which Thou lightest up the dark,

And fair is he and gay and mighty and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, mother earth,

The which sustains us and keeps us

And brings forth diverse fruit with grasses and flowers bright.

Praised be my Lord for those who for Thy love forgive,

And weakness bear and tribulation.

Blessed those who shall in peace endure,

For by Thee, Most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, the bodily death,

From the which no living man can flee.

Woe to them who die in mortal sin,

Blessed those who shall find themselves in Thy most holy will,

For the second death shall do them no ill.

Praise ye and bless ye my Lord and give Him thanks,

And be subject unto Him with great humility.