The Canticle of the Sun
St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures; especially 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 to 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 Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us 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. Amen.

Last week I was in Dillons picking up a few things. The man at the cheese counter asked if I was looking for anything specific. I was just browsing. Then he asks me, “How do you know if you are saved?” I knew immediately that he was questioning if a Catholic knew anything about salvation. Then he quoted Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast.” This is a classic quote used to remind Catholics that we are not saved by good works. So I asked the man, “What is the next verse?” He was not familiar with verse 10, “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” Here we learn that once we have been saved we must put our faith into action. God has entrusted a good work to each one of His children. Pray for the gift of God’s mercy, and also pray for the strength to put his grace into action.

Here are some trusted resources if you want to explain your Catholic Faith to a Christian who is not Catholic. Look up these names on Youtube and they have great explanations of the faith.

Trent Horn, Matt Fradd, Jimmy Akin, The Coming Home Network, Joe Heschemeyer, Brant Pitre, Catholic Recon, The Cordial Catholic.

We should all be ready to give an explanation for our faith. These resources will help you to be ready. For every objection a “Protestant” has to “Catholicism” there is a very good answer that has been researched and developed for 2000 years.

September 23 is the Feast of St. Padre Pio. (1887- 1968) I highly encourage you to learn more about his life. There are many wonderful documentaries and videos about his life. He is well known for having the stigmata and for working miracles. Are you suffering? Do you need a miracle? Are you so busy that you need to be in two places at the same time? Have you been rejected and doubted by others? Then St. Padre Pio is your man.

In August 1918, Padre Pio began experiencing significant and severe pain that would come and go over a period of weeks. Soon this pain, which seemed to be connected to the five wounds of Christ on the Cross, became permanent. For the next 50 years Padre Pio lost about a cup of blood every day from the Stigmata: the lance wound Christ suffered on his left side and the bleeding nail wounds of the crucifixion in both His hands and His feet.

Miraculously, a few days before his death in September 1968, all these wounds on Padre Pio’s body disappeared. Countless experts and doctors who carefully and closely examined the wounds were unable to provide any medical or scientific explanation. Some questioned the authenticity of the wounds, while others were unable to provide a sure diagnosis, but the wounds bled profusely, day after day, for 50 years. St. Padre Pio . . . Pray for us!