Brother Sun—Sister Moon

By Sister Kathleen Kluthe. Edited by Marilyn Gorun.

This stained-glass window which depicts our sun and moon with personal faces is a beautiful depiction of St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Creatures”:

Most High, all-powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor and all blessing. To you alone, Most High, do they belong. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, and first my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day, and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars; in the heavens you have made them, bright and precious and fair. Praise and bless my Lord and give him thanks, and serve him with great humility.

The sun, moon, and all of creation are one with God. Everything and everyone is connected and interdependent. This cosmic connection in St. Francis’ Canticle, and pictured in this window, challenges us to expand our awareness and deepen our commitment to be one in mind and spirit in the midst of diversity. We recognize our personal connections to one another across cultures, races, religions, and geographic boundaries. We are sisters and brothers with all creation; we are related, intertwined, and cannot be separated.

In the spirit of St. Francis, we are called to embrace and welcome the stranger and the marginalized. For Francis, they were the lepers of his society. Today they are immigrants, refugees, migrants, racial minorities, indigenous peoples, people of different faiths or of no religion, those with physical or mental challenges, those dealing with poverty, those with inadequate housing, victims of war and exploitation, and so many more.

The symbol of fire embodies light and energy from the sun and moon. Our challenge is to cast fire—the fire of energy, compassion, warmth, purification, and light—into our world. Fire, light, and energy fuel action, change, and transformation. With a “burning desire,” we are called to work for justice and peace. Pope Leo asks us “to choose the light, not fear.” Let us walk into the future with the determination, faith, light, and energy of Saints Francis and Clare.

Image: In the Relic Chapel in the balcony of St. Joseph Chapel