Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon

Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon
St. Francis of Assisi

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor
and all blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to
pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.
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 our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and
bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be
crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him
thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.
Amen.

[SOURCE: catholic.org]
Learn more about Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Climate Change at:
http://igsol.net/pope-ecology

Mr. Aidan Campolettano, Religion Teacher, La Salle Academy

 

Our Role as Stewards of the Land, Animals, and Earth

“Good Morning La Salle

This week, we celebrate Earth Week, a time of showing our love for the planet, being appreciative of the natural beauty that surrounds us, and recognizing that there is still much to be done to save the Earth. Mother Teresa said, “I only feel angry when I see waste, when I see people throwing away things that we could use.” The earth is suffering because of us. One third of all food producedSimple Mother Earth Drawing, Cliparts & Cartoons - Jing.fm ends up rotting in trash cans or spoiling due to poor transportation. 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, storm water, and industrial waste are dumped into US water. 15 billion trees are chopped away each year. Billions of disposable masks have been found polluting the ocean. Now more than ever, we as a society need to wake up and do our part to help the Earth. This could include biking or walking instead of driving to reduce carbon fuels, planting trees, donating to clothing drives to combat fast fashion, recycling, and being aware of the impact our decisions make on the environment.

Strike with us for the love of mother earth. This artwork raises awareness on environmental… | Air pollution poster, Air pollution project, Save mother earth poster

Here is a poem I wrote from the perspective of the Earth, with a quote by Emily Dickinson.

I gave them the sunrise,

fiery yellow

The breath of air

Mournfully mellow

 

I gave them my water, food, and soil

They drank and ate and toiled and toiled

 

in return

they cut my trees,

polluted my seas,

grayed my skies–

They hurt my Eyes

Yet never once did I start to hate

For fear was born on anger’s plate

 

Sadness preys on the lonely soul

And makes a home til death do toll

The world is neither yours nor mine

Instead made from Divine design

 

I heard, “Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops -at all-”

 

I have hope in darkness,

Dreams despite death

Memory in tragedy

And love for life’s breath

Let us pray:

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands | Peace Clipart | Jesus drawings, Earth drawings, Hands holding the worldDear God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, please help us to live up to our role as stewards of the land, animals, and Earth. Allow us to notice and appreciate the little things, from the flowers blanketing the ground, to the sun rising early in the morning, to the beauty of blossoming trees. Help us to be conscious of how the decisions we make today affect the world we live in tomorrow.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle… Pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts… forever.

Sarah Wong ’21 La Salle Academy, Providence, RI

Be Both Host and Servant

Let us remember that we are in the holy presence of God.

 So, during supper,

fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power

and that he had come from God and was returning to God,

 Jesus rose from supper and took off his outer garments.Jesus last supper clipart - Clip Art Library | Canvas art painting abstract, Art parody, Last supper art

He took a towel and tied it around his waist.

Then he poured water into a basin

and began to wash the disciples’ feet

and dry them with the towel around his waist.

 

 

Today, the Church observes Holy Thursday—that day when Jesus celebrated a last Passover meal with his friends and disciples, that day which became for Catholics the roots of our celebration of the Eucharist.  That meal—like all meals in fact—meant someone was both host and servant.  In John’s version of the last supper—the version which we hear at mass this evening—-the funny thing is that no mention is ever made of bread or wine.  Instead, what we have is a story of Jesus as teacher washing the feet of his friends and disciples.   When he is finished, he tells them clearly, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”

Free Passover Cliparts, Download Free Clip Art, Free Clip Art on Clipart Library

Why is this important?  Because for the author of John’s Gospel—the meal is unmistakingly tied to a ministry of hospitality in which Jesus is both host and servant.   In other words, the point of the meal is not just to eat it, but rather to become so changed by the meal, that we become like Jesus, and live as servants.  Let’s not forget after all, that this meal for Jesus and his disciples—allOur Family's Haggadah | Passover Haggadah by Jill Maller-Kesselman devout Jews—was a celebration of the Passover—an event that marks the liberation of the Israelites from the bondage of oppression and slavery.  So the question becomes how will this meal change us so that we might become servants?

Like the disciples in the Garden, we can sometimes fall asleep on the job, be reluctant, and prefer not to be involved in the pain of others.  At the foot of the cross, only a few stood with Jesus.  Sometimes, we are afraid of the cost and we flee, when we should remain.  As we move to the end of our Lenten journey, we call to mind the image of Jesus on his knees washing his friends feet.  On this Holy Thursday morning, we remember the suffering of Christ as we face the suffering in our world.

Jesus Washing Feet | Free Images at Clker.com - vector clip art online, royalty free & public domain

Let us pray,

God of love and mercy

Like the early disciples, we can be afraid, tentative, and weak

And we prefer not to see or experience agony.

So we call upon Mary and the women at the foot of the cross

To intercede for us.

To help us recognize the suffering in the man or woman standing besides us

As people of Paschal Mystery,

Help us to be present with our brothers and sisters in pain.

Be with us as we struggle to know that we can only move to the resurrection by way of the cross.

Amen.

St. John Baptist de La Salle: Pray for us

Live Jesus in our Hearts: Forever!

Mrs. Christine Estes, Lasallian Coordinator, Religion Department Chair