Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
More and more the night sky invites me to look up and make sure I get out for a walk on nights when there is a full moon. It is brilliantly on display at Robson Ranch. My favorite time is at the outdoor pool when the sun sets in the west and the luminous full moon rises in the east. The Harvest Moon brings us back to nature along with the vibrant palette of earth and sky painted anew by the Creator each day. So much abundance and blessing when we look around and see our picturesque world and its provisions.
In 1979 St. Francis of Assisi was named by Pope John Paul II the Patron Saint of Ecology. We celebrate his feast day on Oct. 4 and many honor his legacy with a Blessing of the Pets. This year the Feast of St. Francis fell around the same time as Jane Goodall’s passing, and we honored her years of research and living in the wild. Her mission was “to give people hope in dark times.” So many quiet, humble souls who left behind security and wealth, found their purpose in communing with nature, showing us a spiritual path that honors creation, creatures and the Creator.
This is an excerpt from the Canticle of the Sun in which St. Francis wrote:
We praise you, Lord, for all your creatures, especially for Brother Sun…through whom you give us light…We praise you, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars…We praise you, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air…by which you cherish all that you have made. We praise you, Lord, for Sister Water…for Brother Fire…for Sister earth, who sustains us…praise and bless you, Lord, and give you thanks.
Here in Arizona, we are blessed to have the sun brighten our days throughout the winter months. Indeed, many of us Sun Seekers live here for that very reason. The desert gives us life and energy in the winter months. Prayers to the Creator, giving thanks for the creation are always soul-soothing and life-giving.
Another prayer attributed to St. Francis:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is offence, let me bring pardon. Where there is doubt, let me bring faith. Where there is despair, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, let me bring light. Where there is sadness, let me bring joy…”
When we are surrounded by animosity, violence, division, and breakdown of relationship to one another, to the earth and to God, we are reminded that there is nothing new under the sun. And, the answer for our own well-being, mental and spiritual health, is to go back to the prayers of thanksgiving and strength. “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…We praise and bless you, Lord, and give you thanks.”