The Catholic Defender: All Creatures of Our God and King Praise Him
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All Creatures of Our God and King is a beloved Christian hymn with deep Catholic roots, based on the "Canticle of the Sun" written by St. Francis of Assisi in 1225. While the modern English lyrics were translated by an Anglican priest, the hymn remains a staple in Catholic liturgy, particularly for the Feast of St. Francis and the Blessing of Animals.
Original Text: The lyrics are a paraphrase of St. Francis's Canticum Solis (Canticle of the Sun), one of the first known works of literature in the Italian vernacular.
Feast of St. Francis (October 4): To honor the saint's love for all of God's creation.
Season of Pentecost & All Saints Day: Fitting for any celebration of God's power over creation.
Francis of Assisi, 1225 [Key: Bb] Verse 1 All creatures of our God and King Lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, Thou silver moon with softer gleam! O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 2 Thou rushing wind that art so strong Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening, find a voice! O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 3 And all ye men of renewed heart, Now cry aloud and take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! We who long pain and sorrow share, Praise God and on Him cast our care! O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 4 Let all things their Creator bless, And worship Him in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, Praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Francis of Assisi (ca. 1182-1226) lived during the Crusades.
It was a time of knights on horseback and chivalry. Francis was the son of a wealthy merchant with all of the advantages of the rising merchant class. After a riotous youth, he renounced his inheritance and all contact with his family.
Instead of choosing the life of a knight in armor on horseback, he chose to walk barefoot in the simplest and crudest of garments.
Instead of seeking the attention of a lady of the court, he chose to follow Lady Poverty.
Instead of traveling to the Holy Land as a warrior to reclaim Jerusalem, Francis journeyed to the Holy Land and, at great personal peril, proclaimed peace to the Muslim leader.
Even today one may walk the streets of Assisi and visit the sites where St. Francis lived his life in such a manner that he reformed the medieval Catholic Church.
That a humble monk, living the most ascetic of lifestyles, from this little out-of-the-way village could have had such a remarkable impact on the powerful church in Rome is astounding.
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