Opening of the 8th Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures
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On Saturday, January 11, 2025, first at the Shrine of San Damiano in Assisi and then in the Basilica, the official opening of the centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures will be held where the general ministers of the Franciscan family, including our own Br. Roberto Genuin, will be present. The path of the centenaries started a few years ago and will eventually lead us to the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis.
The 2025 Franciscan Centenary will be dedicated to celebrations and reflections on the Canticle of the Creatures.
Francis of Assisi was almost completely blind when he composed the Canticle. Nevertheless, with a gaze of faith filled with gratitude, he contemplated the wonders of creation and managed to grasp the presence of the Creator who gave meaning to them. All creatures are mirrors of divine perfection and are brothers and sisters because they are the work and gift of the same Author. All of them together constitute the chorus of creation, which contemplates, praises and gives thanks to God the Creator, “the great distributor” who gives widely and graciously (Fonti Francescane 665).
The Canticle is the concluding expression and confession of the Poverello's life, recapitulating his entire journey of conformation to Christ, the beloved Son. His faith in the fatherhood of God becomes a song of praise proclaiming the brotherhood of all creatures and their beauty.
“Francis contemplated, in beautiful things, the Most Beautiful and, following the footsteps imprinted in the form of creatures, pursued everywhere the Beloved. Of all things he made himself a ladder to climb in order to grasp Him who is all desirable” (Fonti Francescane 1162).
The January 11th opening event celebrating the Canticle of Creatures will be held at 10:00 am (Assisi) and can be followed via streaming through the website www.centenarifrancescani.org or through our official YouTube channel //www.youtube.com/@ofmcaptv
Let us, therefore, begin the journey together by welcoming the reflections that will resonate in Assisi. May the gift of the Canticle of the Creatures help us to discover what the Lord is asking of us Franciscans today, at a time in history when from many quarters we are urged to care for our common home, remaining aware of the ecological crisis which involves us all.