Welcome to Praying Nature!

A resource for people who love and care for our common home 

'Praying Nature' is inspired by the life and spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi who believed that flowers, animals, birds and all created beings praise and glorify God just by being themselves! Recognising that all creatures come from the same primordial source who is God our Father and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Francis related to Christ and all creation as brothers and sisters of the one universal family. Our shared Creator according to Francis is our Father who loves and cares for creation, for each one of us beyond our wildest dreams! No wonder St. Francis is known as a Peacemaker and Patron of Ecologists!

"All you birds of heaven, bless the Lord" - St. Francis 

St. Francis - Inspiration to Nature Lovers

St. Francis is an iconic figure, loved and cherished the world over for his simplicity, peacefulness and compassion, his love for the poor, and of course his love of nature. Indeed, St. Francis was a great lover of all of God's creation since he forever marveled at the goodness and generosity of God whom he 'saw' in His creation. We present St. Francis' caring attitude towards all creation especially Nature, and pray that - guided by him - people adopt a Franciscan attitude themselves.

Contents of 'Praying Nature'

Through the different sections of this website, we offer St. Francis of Assisi as an inspiration, model and support to people who love creation and promote a care for nature, the earth and its creatures. In sections St. Francis of Assisi and Sister Mother Earth, we provide some biographical data about St. Francis himself, beliefs he held, and extracts from some of his writings and early stories written to illustrate his stance towards nature.

In the section, Guide for Nature Lovers, we outline how St. Francis and places associated with his followers might be a guide and support for nature lovers and ecologists, and we offer possibilities for prayer. In the section Ecology Matters! we present St. Francis Nature Conservation Project by introducing various issues of ecological concern so as to become more aware of current threats to nature, how they might also threaten human health, and learn new ways to respond to such challenges. Some prayers concerning care for the earth and its creatures are provided in the Eco-Prayers section and finally, in Links & Resources are lists of websites, books and DVDs relating to nature and biodiversity and actions to promote care for the earth.      

"... Holy and just Father,

Lord King of heaven and earth,

we thank You for Yourself for through Your holy will

and through Your only Son with the Holy Spirit

You have created everything ..."

- St. Francis

Restoring Brother & Sister Relationship

Franciscans promote the belief that all created reality having its origin in God shares a brother/sister relationship. Regretably Nature is being threatened from all sides today, but believing that each and every creature reveals God's love in its own unique way, we'd like that due reverence be shown to Nature in such a way that it be restored completely to its condition of brother/sister.

A Franciscan Presentation

'Praying Nature' is presented to you on behalf of the Order of Friars Minor. As Franciscans, people whose lives are inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, we pray and strive for a world which cherishes care for nature and the environment, social inclusion and peace. We encourage you to pray wherever you are since everywhere is a place of encounter with God. Finally, we hope you enjoy our presentation.

 "Peace and all Good" - a traditional Franciscan blessing

Your brothers,

Cathal & the Franciscan friars

Email: br.cathal@praying-nature.com

www.franciscans.ie