Saint Francis and Sister Death

“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape.” from ‘The Canticle of Brother Sun’ by Saint Francis 
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” The words of Jesusa from today’s Gospel passage (Luke 10:21)

In and through the life of Jesus Christ, the cosmos is unveiled as a creation, made by Love, for Love. The prayer of ‘The Canticle of Brother Sun’ (excerpted above and copied below in full) by Saint Francis of Assisi testifies to this great unveiling and examines the unveiled creation in light of its Creator. 

In and through Francis’ eyes, the astronomical bodies – the sun, the moon, and the stars – and the elements – the winds, the waters, fire, and earth – are revealed to be sacramental realities that speak to us of the Triune God. They are, in this way, our own kin in Christ, whose voices are discernible by those with that childlike faith Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel. By those like Saint Francis, whose Feast we celebrate today.

And in and through our own experience of Francis’s act of thanksgiving given in this prayer, the Sun is our brother, and the Moon our sister, both bearing to us the wonders of God. The Canticle models for us how to see all creation in light of the love of God, with eyes of faith and hearts of hope.

Most scandalously,  however, this hymn of praise culminates with Francis proclaiming, with bold hope, death as Sister. Even Death, in the light of the Triune God, is not an adversary but, somehow – mysteriously, awe-fully – a sister. In an act of faith, Francis contemplates Death as a family member, who leads us home to God. 

This proclamation is not a gloss on death. To call death sister is not to impose a repression of our grief over the very real, warranted horror of death. I remember a friend once telling me about her experience growing up in a fringe Christian community that scrutinized funerals and their sorrowful mood – seeing in them evidence of a lack of faith in the Resurrection and heaven. The community apparently thought death for the Christian should be celebrated with smiles, balloons, and other festivities. 

This disturbed her – and it should also disturb us! Even the Son of God wept over the death of his dear friend Lazarus. Lazarus, whom he knew he would resurrect. The horror of Christ’s Passion and death – and, by proxy, our own suffering and death – are not erased and forgotten by Resurrection. They are, rather, presumed and transfigured: Jesus bears the marks of his death in his resurrected state. The Resurrection promises to us that all of the death we witness in this life, and the alienation it begets, will – again, somehow – become a means of reunion, with him, and with one another in him. 

For Francis to call death sister then is not to blot out death’s horror but to place one’s faith and one’s hope in the Triune God who works all things for good for those who love him, even death (Romans 8:28). It is to trust that all created things are made to reunite us to God – as brothers and sisters leading us back to the Father of all. In him, even the shadowy, alienating, inescapable figure of Death is sisterly and kindly. 

It is fitting that this naming of death as “Sister” comes then after Francis’ praise of our Lord – the (only) one in whom we may discover death on familial grounds. As we read in today’s Gospel, from Luke chapter 10, Jesus Christ reveals that in our Lord, we will find no harm in this life, and that we can rejoice for our names are written in heaven. Rejoicing himself “in the Holy Spirit”, the Son of God then praises the Father: “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.”  

Let’s pray these words of profound faith and hope with the childlike Francis:

The Canticle of the Sun

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.