The source is called Good

“Brother Francis,” said Brother Leo, “how can one possibly honor so many injustices in this world?” “Answer me this, my beloved little Lamb of God: Have you ever seen murky waters cascading from cliffs on a mountain range?

“My dear Leo, write the following in very large letters: If the source is called Good, then everything that springs from that source will be good. If you lift the face off every living thing, you will find the image of Christ underneath it. Brother Leo, have you ever thought about light? Light is that which diffuses. If it didn’t diffuse, it wouldn’t be light.

“By some ‘necessity’ which is both entirely free and loving, God exploded in an expansive universe and that is the origin of creation. One by one, he created all living things, shaping them according to one image: The Eternal Word.

“Brother Leo, how thrilling it is to discover that all creation is a replica of the Lord. All things are sacred. All things have been blessed and. Sanctified along with the man. All things are good. That is why I tell you to venerate everything that breathes and everything that exists. And for this reason, one must extend the same courtesy not only to roaches and spiders, but also to rocks and metals. Creation is an enormous sacrament of God.

“Write this carefully, Brother Leo: A friar must be poor and elegant at the same time. Cleanliness, order, and neatness are the attributes of one who venerates the very chair he sits on, the table where his meals are served, and the clothes on his back.

“A truly poor person is an aristocrat. Vulgar persons cannot be poor. Be courteous, Brother Leo, not only to people but to things as well.”

Extracted from the book “Brother Assisi” by Father Ignacio Larrañaga