CANTICLE OF THE SUN
FRANCIS:
Be praised my Lord for all your Creatures
But most of all for good Brother Sun
Who makes the day and the light,
Splendid is he, good Brother Sun.

NARRATION:
He taught the song to Clare and her companions.

CLARE & FRANCIS:
Be praised my Lord for Sister Moon,
For Sister Moon and all the Stars;
High in the Heavens you have made them,
You made them precious, so bright and fair.

CHOIR:
Be praised my Lord for Brother Wind,
For Air and Cloud and every Weather;
For giving breath to all your creatures
Be praise my Lord for our Brother Wind.

Be praised my Lord for Sister Water
Humble and pure and free to all
Who gives sweet life to all your creatures;
Be praised my Lord for Sister Water.

All praise and bless and thank the Lord
Of Water, Earth, of Fire and Air
And serve Him with humility;
All praise and bless and thank the Lord.

NARRATION:
Francis was taken to Rieti
for treatment by the Pope's own Doctors.
They were unable to help.
But one hoped to relieve the agony in his eyes
through a desperate remedy -
by the application of a burning rod to his temple.
None of his companions could bear to stay with him.
So, by himself, he sat watching
as the iron was heated in the fire.
And when it was red hot
and the Doctor brought it to him,
Francis stood up,
looked at the glowing beauty of the thing and said:
"Be gentle with me Brother Fire,
I have always loved Thee."

FRANCIS:
Be praised my Lord for Brother Fire
By him you light and you warm the night.
Oh he is handsome, joyous and strong
Be praised my Lord for our Brother Fire.

NARRATION:
The treatment was unsuccessful.
His condition grew worse.
The Bishop brought him to stay in his Palace
And still Francis and his companions
kept on singing, singing, singing.

CHOIR:
Be praised my Lord for all your Creatures
But most of all for Brother Sun
Who makes the day and the light
Splendid is he, good Brother Sun.

Be praised my Lord for our Mother Earth
Who keeps us all and makes for us
Her varied fruits and coloured flowers;
Be praised my Lord for our Mother Earth.

NARRATION:
The Bishop came to complain.
He didn't think Francis was dying
with enough solemnity.
All this singing! What would people think?!

But to stop singing - Francis couldn't agree to that
And he asked to be moved out of the Palace,
back to his 'Little Portion', that place in the woods
where he and his companions
had made their first camp.
Permission was granted.
And so, on a day late in September in the year 1226,
Francis was carried on his bed
out of the Bishop's Palace, into the fresh air.
It must have felt like coming out of prison!

FRANCIS & CHOIR:
Be praised my Lord for Sister Moon
For Sister Moon and all the Stars.
High in the Heavens you have made them,
You made them precious, so bright and fair.

All praise and bless and thank the Lord
Of Water, Earth, of Fire and Air
And serve Him with humility
All praise and bless and thank the Lord.

NARRATION:
It became obvious that the end was near
And Francis composed one last verse for his Canticle.

FRANCIS:
Be praised my Lord for Sister Death.
God gives, then takes away.
But don't be sad, the Dance goes on.
Be praised my Lord for our Sister Death.

NARRATION:
He asked his brothers to remove his tunic
and to lay him naked on the ground
So that he could die in complete poverty.

His last act was to sing part of the 142nd Psalm:
"Set me free from my prison that I may praise Thy name"

Legend has it that at the moment of his death,
Larks came, alighted
singing on his roof and in the windows of his hut.
And so, there stopped the great heart
that had not broken until it embraced the world entire.

Be praised my Lord for Brother Francis!
Good morning good people!

Instrumental Verse

CHOIR (with repeats):
All praise and bless and thank the Lord
Of Water, Earth, of Fire and Air
And serve Him with humility
All praise and bless and thank the Lord.