Fourth Sunday of Lent
Learning to see
Year B: 2 Chronicles 36:14–16, 19–23;
Psalm 137:1–2, 3, 4–5, 6;
Ephesians 2:4–10;
John 3:14–21
“Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.’” —John 9:3
Just as spiritual blindness can be far more devastating than the loss of physical sight, having our vision of God’s grace restored can bring healing far beyond the physical. We see hope where once we knew only despair and more than that, we see new ways to communicate that hope to others. We see light instead of darkness, and in that light, we discover a side of ourselves that we thought we had lost. We look with new eyes at the people around us and see how they, too, are children of God.
One of Francis’ greatest works is his “Canticle of the Creatures.” Francis wrote it late in his life. He was almost blind from an eye disease acquired on his missionary travels. He could no longer see any of the beauty of the natural world that he had enjoyed throughout his life. Amid darkness and suffering, he praised light and joy. The paradox of our Christian life will always be that only through death do we obtain eternal life. If we begin with that belief as our firm foundation, we can follow Christ and his saints in turning the sadness and struggles of our lives into a means of praising God in our hearts, even if our minds take a little longer to understand. 1
Prayer
The Canticle of the Sun
Original text in Umbrian dialect:
Altissimu, omnipotente bon Signore,
Tue so le laude, la gloria e l’honore et onne benedictione.
Ad Te solo, Altissimo, se konfano,
et nullu homo ène dignu te mentouare.
Laudato sie, mi Signore cum tucte le Tue creature,
spetialmente messor lo frate Sole,
lo qual è iorno, et allumini noi per lui.
Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:
de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora Luna e le stelle:
in celu l’ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per frate Uento
et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo,
per lo quale, a le Tue creature dài sustentamento.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sor’Acqua,
la quale è multo utile et humile et pretiosa et casta.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per frate Focu,
per lo quale ennallumini la nocte:
ed ello è bello et iucundo et robustoso et forte.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per sora nostra matre Terra,
la quale ne sustenta et gouerna,
et produce diuersi fructi con coloriti fior et herba.
Laudato si, mi Signore, per quelli ke perdonano per lo Tuo amore
et sostengono infirmitate et tribulatione.
Beati quelli ke ‘l sosterranno in pace,
ka da Te, Altissimo, sirano incoronati.
Laudato si mi Signore, per sora nostra Morte corporale,
da la quale nullu homo uiuente pò skappare:
guai a quelli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali;
beati quelli ke trouarà ne le Tue sanctissime uoluntati,
ka la morte secunda no ‘l farrà male.
Laudate et benedicete mi Signore et rengratiate
e seruiteli cum grande humilitate.
Notes: so=sono, si=sii (be!), mi=mio, ka=perché, u and v are both written as u, sirano=saranno
English Translation:
Most High, all powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
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 Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with coloured 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 who will find 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.
www.franciscanmedia.org. (2021). Lent with St. Francis: Learning to See | Franciscan Media. [online] Available at: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/lent-with-st-francis-learning-to-see/ [Accessed 13 Mar. 2024].
Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Canticle of the Sun. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canticle_of_the_Sun.
Oremus.org. (2019). oremus Bible Browser. [online] Available at: https://bible.oremus.org/.