Song of Reconciliation is a letter from the 4 Franciscan Ministers General to the whole Franciscan Family for instruction & reflection on the Canticle of Creatures.
“The Canticle of Creatures is a song of praise & Reconciliation.” “It summarizes Francis’ view of God and the world; creatures and human beings; himself and the Most High God.” In the “Conclusion” of this letter the Ministers General provide us with numerous “Admonitions” or “Challenges”; refer to the following list.
Admonitions or Challenges
- Joyfully celebrate this 8th centenary of the Canticle
- Make the Poverello’s clear and prophetic gaze your own
- Recognize God’s imprint in every creature
- Live the call to universal fraternity by embracing all of creation – animate and inanimate
- Rediscover the beauty of being pilgrims & strangers
- Become custodians, not masters, of creation
- Become brothers and sisters of every living thing
- Become artisans of Peace and Forgiveness
- Live vulnerability as openness to others
- Integrate death into the great mystery of life
- Welcome every reality – from the brightest to the darkest within an experience of praise and restitution
- Live and promote: no lives are meaningless; no creatures are voiceless; no situations are outside of Divine Compassion
- Everything is embraced by our Father’s tenderness; everything/everyone is an occasion for praise
- See beyond appearances; grasp the dignity and beauty of all
- Become like Francis:
- Become Singers of Reconciliation and Hope
- Become Re-kindlers of Child-like Wonder
- Become Givers of Thanksgiving
- Become Caregivers of our Common Home
Please read the whole Song of Reconciliation. Go back and meditate/ponder each part individually. Let the message be totally absorbed into your being – who you become as you continue your spiritual journey – your pilgrimage to eternal happiness with the Trinity.
