Below is the translation of the Canticle of the Creatures which will be used for Fr. Steve Patti’s lecture: A Song of Praise for the Created World: Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle of the Creatures” for Our Time on June 24th at 7 PM.

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,

Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong,

And no one is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures,

Especially Sir Brother Sun,

Who is the day and through whom you give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;

And bears a likeness of you, Most High One.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

In heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,

And through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather

Through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water

Which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

Through whom You light the night

And he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,

Who sustains and governs us,

And who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love

And bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace

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

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,

From whom no living man can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,

For the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give him thanks

And serve him with great humility.

The friars and staff send out our heartfelt greetings and warmest wishes for a Very Merry Christmas to all of our parishioners, friends and visitors.

We know that this Christmas is unlike any Christmas any of us have ever experienced.  People in our community, country and around the world are suffering due to the pandemic raging around us.  So many people have died.  So many are sick this Christmas.  So many are out of work and suffering serious economic stress and so many medical professionals, first responders and essential workers are exhausted by months of being there in harms way for the sake of the rest of us.  It is difficult to find light and joy this Christmas.

But the first Christmas was difficult too:  Mary and Joseph were far from home, alone and had no place to stay.  They did not have a lot of money. Mary had to deliver her baby in a stable and lay her little boy in a manger surrounded by farm animals.  And yet, the Angels sang at the birth of the savior.  In the midst of that darkness they announced the good news to a world in desperate need of it.

In the midst of this pandemic, maybe we can gaze again into the manger and see our God who was willing to enter this beautiful, yet often difficult, scary world.  Maybe we can take the time to remember that the Son of God leapt down from the heavens to be with us for one reason only:  He loves us that much.

Our pray this year is that God’s love, which is always with us, might fill our hearts with faith that God is with us, and with hope He will see us through and beyond this moment.

Merry Christmas!

Over the next few weeks, if you were to stroll around Prague or Budapest or Kraków, you might see curious grafitti scratched in chalk over some doorways: “20+C+M+B+20.” The families dwelling behind those doors have celebrated the Epiphany door blessing. They have gathered before the feast-day meal, probably after Mass, and the head of the family has traced the sign of the cross on the piece of chalk. Standing on a ladder, the leader traces the numbers for the new year, and the letters C M B for Christus Mansionem Benedicat, Latin for “May Christ bless this house.” The letters also point to the names that tradition has assigned to the mysterious magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar – although scripture tells us nothing of their number, their country, or their names.

The blessing speaks of journeys ended and journeys begun at the doorway, and prays that all journeys be as satisfying as was the magi’s. It prays that the house beyond the door have the quality of love and peace that the magi marveled at when they at last arrived in Bethlehem. In some countries where the Soviet Union tried to impose a harsh atheism, the vigor of this household custom survived all efforts to erase Christian customs. In the years of struggle, the chalked blessings were a pervasive sign of defiance, and now they are a sign of the resilience of our tradition and the fulfillment of the magi’s quest for meaning and peace.

Rev. James Field
© J. S. Paluch Co.