St Francis – The Canticle of the Creatures, part II
Praised be You, my Lord,
through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed those who endure in peace,
for by You, Most High,
shall they be crowned.
(Verses 10-11)
After the opening words of the Canticle, these words do not fit easily into the flow of words of praise for creation. I could well imagine that any editor suggesting that these verses and the following verses 12-13 should be taken out of the canticle and become the starting point for a new canticle where the focus is on suffering. These verses were added to the original Canticle of the Creatures. Francis was in decline, and they were dictated to the brothers caring for him, by Francis toward the end of his life.
In these words, the poem changes from words of praise for creation to humanity and pain and suffering that is never far away.
