Caring for Creation: Saint Francis, the Patron Saint of Ecology
I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself.
The Fruit of Suffering
Suffering gives you the opportunity to grow. Your trials give you a gift: the opportunity to become the person you always wanted to become. A holier person. A more patient person. A person who endures. A person who is kinder. A person who is more merciful.
– from When You Suffer
