MARFAM’S WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER 25 FEBRUARY 2026

MARFAM’s family theme for the month of Valentine has been love, love that gives life, but especially too love gives families life.  Love is such a common word you can say it is almost done to death. So it is good to dig a little deeper into Love Gives Life, – giving and receiving too.  Love can enhance the quality of life, adds a sparkle, makes life more fulfilling and more meaningful, and gives it a greater sense of purpose. Living-giving love is not only about procreation but enhances all relationships. In a particular family sense, a loving sexual act is God’s approach to ongoing creation.   Transmitting life, co-creating with God can be the ultimate expression of life-giving. Ideally so, if treated with due reverence for life.  The Church teaches us that abortion is anti-life and Natural Family Planning is a particularly pro-life, life-giving method. But sexually speaking that is hardly always the reality, where in relationships all kinds of emotions are experienced, ranging from passion to a calmer, gentler joy, but at the opposite end aggression and violence are anti-life, showing no reverence and respect for the gift of life-giving love.   The words of a song speak to me, “What;s the reason for becoming man and wife? Is it love that bring you here, or love that gives you life?” https://genius.com/Captain-and-tennille-wedding-song-there-is-love-lyrics

What about other elements of creation, plants and animals? Does reproduction in nature also have a relational aspect – in the natural state at least? Does our human manipulation of plant and animals interfere with their natural life-giving and do these creatures experience emotions, as is now being studied.  Is the reproductive urge that drives millions of creatures into mating rituals devoid of love, only an instinct? 

In all of creation so much reproduction is hardly conscious of the ideal of lifegiving love. We call it “making love” but is it too mechanical, too casual, some is manipulated or manipulative, some purely for pleasure and often that lifegiving aspect is avoided or negated.  Marriage preparation courses do use the concept of life-giving morality as a tool for building healthy marriages.   In our ministry day 40 years ago the concepts of life-giving morality and unity,  were very powerful for us, and have remained with me all this time, even as a widow of many years.  

As is described by his various biographers, the very close relationship, as true soul-mates, between St Francis and St Clare was particularly life-giving and meaningful for them both, right until the time of his death when he asked for her supportive care. After his death she spent the rest of her life promoting and following his way in her congregation of sisters.

The scripture readings from the 1st Sunday of Lent speak of temptation, that of Adam and Eve and of Jesus.   As thinking, feeling, emotional beings what are the temptations in our lives? Pleasure, power, possessions, also drugs, even food and drink.  Lent does ask of us to fast from attachment to certain things and for almsgiving for the poor and for attention to our spiritual lives. To what extent is lifegiving love at play on a personal, family or community level?  Or should it be, more so,  teamed with reverence for life, a special quality of St Francis who treated all life with reverence.     TR 25 February 2026. See https://marfam.org.za/families-and-lent/ for suggested activities.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY. ST FRANCIS AND THE CANTICLES

25 February.   SEE:  The Canticle of the Creatures. Mrs Beatus picked up her sharing about St Francis and his life of ongoing conversion.  “St Francis made this three-fold Lenten practice of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, his daily mission and way of life.”  “It is reported in Care for Creation (p81) that at a time, a year before his death, when he was suffering from his painful eye condition, as well as effects of the stigmata, he was reflecting on his troubles and he prayed to God for help. He heard a voice which told him that his troubles were in fact a great treasure securing his entry into God’s kingdom.  After that conversion moment he felt so close to God that he said he wanted to sing, and that is when he composed the major portion of The Canticle of the Creatures. It is a hymn of praise to God for creation and some of its elements. It consists of three parts:      

1. The inanimate elements, sun, moon etc,  of creation giving praise to God.

2. A short section, mentioning people and included with reference to a conflict between the mayor and the bishop in Assisi in which Francis was mediating. Due to his health he was unable to be present but sent a challenging reflection and call for peace.  Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of you and bear sickness and trial with peace.  The outcome of this was a reconciliation between the two men. 

3. The statement “Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death, as a tribute to death, was composed shortly before his own death in 1226.  He speaks about a first and second death and those who endure the first death – dying to self – will not be harmed in the 2nd bodily death.  

What does all this mean? We could say that all of Francis’ life was a death” because it involved continual repentance and letting go for the sake of another, a constant, “dying to self” so that Christ might live in him. From Care for Creation P90-91. And yet in spite of his life of ongoing conversion it was the joy he experienced in his love of God, and his reverence for God’s creation, his care for the poor and the sick, and for peace, that joy is his most enduring characteristic.  Is that not true lifegiving love?

The Canticle of All Creatures   

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings. To you alone, Most High, do  they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.  
Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour, Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and fair and stormy all weather’s  moods, by which You cherish all that You have made.
Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water, So useful, humble, precious and pure.
Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth who sustains and governs us, producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs. 
Praised be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial. Blessed are those who endure in peace, By You Most High, they will be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death, from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin!  Blessed are they she finds doing Your Will. No second death can do them harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks, And serve Him with great humility.

JUDGE, reflect and share.  Scripture:  Jonah began to go into the city and cried, “yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” The people believed God, they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth. Tidings reached the king and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.  He made a proclamation. “Let neither man nor beast taste anything, let them not feed or drink water and let them cry to God, let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands.  Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not.”  God repented of the evil he had said he would do.” Jonah 2:1-10.   Pope Francis:  The bishops of Brazil have pointed out that nature as a whole, not only manifests God, but is also the place of his presence. The Spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship with him. LS88.  

ACT AND PRAY.  With St Francis pray and reflect on what this Canticle of the Creatures can mean to you as you maybe focus on the LS goal of ecological spirituality. Even young children can be invited to show reverence for all living things, which is displaying life-giving love in a special way.