| dc.description | The painting is a reflection of the poem written by St. Francis of Assisi, a catholic saint, in 1211 . According to Delio (1992), he was praising God through the works of creation as someone who had experienced the true light of God as had been revealed in Christ Jesus. Cunningham, L. (2021) elaborates that St. Francis considered all creatures as brothers and sisters, thus the various references to the poem, such as the ‘Canticle of the creatures’, ‘Praises of the creatures’ or ‘Canticle of Brother sun’. The sun is elaborately referred to as ‘Christ’, the image of the father and this is exemplified in the quotation “He is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; and bears a likeness of You, Most High One” (Delio, 1992). The translation of the canticle;
O Most High, almighty good Lord God: To Thee belong Praise, Glory, Honor and all blessing. Praised be my Lord God with all His creatures, and especially for our brother, the Sun, who brings us the day and who brings us the Light. Fair is he and shines with a very great splendor. O Lord, he signifies to us, Thee. Praised be my Lord for our sister Moon: and for all the stars which Thou hast set clear and lovely in the Heaven. Praised be my Lord for our brother Wind: and for Air and Cloud, calm and all weather by which Thou upholdest life in all the creatures. Praised be our Lord for our sister Water: who is very serviceable unto us, and humble and precious and clean. Praised be my Lord for our brother Fire, through whom Thou giv'st us light in the darkness: he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong. Praised be my Lord for our mother, the Earth, the which doth sustain us and keep us: and bringeth forth divers fruits and flowers of many colors and grass. Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for His love's sake : and who endure weakness and tribulation. Blessed are those who peaceably shall endure: for Thou, O most Highest, shaft give them a crown. Praised be my Lord for our sister death of the body: Blessed are those who are found walking by Thy most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm. Praise ye and bless ye the Lord and give thanks unto Him: and serve Him with great humility. Alleluia. St. Francis of Assisi, Translated by Matthew Arnold (Cunningham, L., 2021)
The chapel was built in 1942 and expanded in 1963. It is probably around this period that the painting was done. Although the chapel belongs to the Anglican communion, it is named after a catholic saint. Within the Anglican communion, there exists a community of Franciscans or the society of St. Francis, who aspire to follow Christ through reflecting on the actions of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Claire of Assisi.
References:
Cunningham, L. (2021). St. Francis of Assisi = Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone, Poverello, San Francesco d’Assisi, Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Francis-of-Assisi
Delio, I. (1992). “The canticle of Brother Sun”: a song of Christ’s mysticism, Franciscan studies, vol 52, pp. 1-22.
The Society of St. Francis; https://www.anglicanfranciscans.org/ | en_US |
