Have you heard this saying? “Spring has sprung - the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is!” The daffodils are out and the mornings are getting lighter, which is a nice reminder that after the dark, cold days of Winter, there always comes the promise of new life and hope that Spring brings.

Spring also makes me think of St Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. He lived in the 13th century and became well-known for his love of nature, having a simple lifestyle, and encouraging people to see the love of God in the world around them. He wanted all creatures on earth, including humans, to be treated as equals under God. This is a message we still need to hear, even 900 years later! You might like to read a passage which inspired St Francis’ thinking from Job 12.

St Francis’ feast day is in October, and on this day all around the world animals are often brought into churches to be blessed. This is also true here at our Cathedral in Dunedin. Here is a video from the 2018 service where Bishop Steven Benford talks about this blessing. God loves all the creatures of this world but it is easy to think that the world revolves around us, as individuals, or as a species, and that nature is something we can exploit for our own use, or that animals are there just for us to enjoy. How we treat animals actually tells us a lot about ourselves – notice how people treat animals and you will learn a lot about them. St Francis is also patron saint of animal shelters like the SPCA.

St Francis often gave things in Creation the title of Brother or Sister, and one of his famous pieces of writing is “The Canticle of the Sun” where he praises God for Brother Sun and Sister Moon, Brother Fire and Sister Water, etc. This has often been put to music (there is even a 1972 movie by Franco Zeffirelli about St Francis called Brother Sun, Sister Moon with music by Donovan!). You might like to listen to one version of this Canticle here.

As you enjoy these Spring days, you could add your thanks to God for the brothers and sisters we are so blessed to have in the natural world.

Dr Gillian Townsley
Chaplain