FRANCIS OF ASSISI
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI FEAST DAY OCTOBER 4
INTRODUCTION
Thursday October 4 is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. Most of us know in general about Francis love for God’s creation, the animals, BROTHER sun, SISTER moon, and all that God has made. Many parishes will be blessing pets today. Pets are gifts from God to lift our spirits on our journey. Thank God for our pets!
BACKGROUND
In 1182, Francis was born to a wealthy cloth merchant of Assisi, Pietro Bernardone, and his French wife, the Lady Pica. Francis was a young man of charm and wit with a consuming desire to be a knight after the fashion of his heroes, the legendary knights’ errant of the court of King Arthur and the court of Charlemagne.
In his twentieth year, Francis rides off to battle against the neighboring city of Perugia. Assisi is routed and Francis is taken prisoner. While in prison, Francis becomes ill. Francis is ransomed by his Father and released from prison.
After imprisonment and ill health, the world had lost some of its splendor for Francis. It is in this desperate desolation that Francis begins to hear new voices within his old voices of vain glory and legendary tales of courtly love. God’s voice became louder and clearer.
One day Francis hears God’s voice, “Francis! if you wish to know my will… all that now seems sweet and lovely to you will become intolerable and bitter… but all that you used to avoid will turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy.”
Another time while praying in the chapel of San Damiano, Francis hears, “Francis repair my house which is falling into ruin.” Francis begins selling his Father’s goods to raise money for repairs then resorts to begging for stones of the townspeople. Enraged at his son’s begging, Pietro drags his son before the Bishop.
Francis strips himself of his clothes before the Bishop and lays them at his father’s feet and utters the most dramatic words of his life,
“Listen to me everybody! Until now I have called Pietro Bernardone my father. But now that I am determined to serve God, I return not only his money but all the clothes I have from him. From now on, I can walk naked before the Lord, no longer saying “my father,” Pietro Bernardone, but, ‘our Father who art in heaven!‘
Thus begins the journey of Francis from his father’s house to the house of his heavenly Father. For Francis the Heavenly Father is fully revealed in Jesus Christ and thus the journey home is in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. .
Francis began to understand better God’s call to “rebuild his Church” was more specific vocation to rebuild the spiritual life of the Church by bearing witness in imitation of Christ to the saving power of the Gospel
FRANCIS EMBRACES LEPER
One day Francis was riding across the plains of Assisi, he perceived a leper coming straight towards him. In Francis’ day a leper had to ring a bell and shout, “Unclean.” Society had embedded in Francis an incomparable loathing for all persons afflicted with this illness.
As Francis saw the leper approach his first reaction was horror then he remembered the resolve he made to attain perfection and to be a soldier of Christ meant victory over one self. Francis dismounted his horse, kissed the leper, and gave him alms.
In this decisive moment of illumination Francis suddenly perceived in this leper the embodiment of God’s beauty, a human being to be loved and cared for tenderly.
By embracing the leper, the Saint learned to embrace all people just as Jesus did. For Francis the meaning of Creation is found in the person of Jesus Christ. It is in and through Jesus Christ that we discover the meaning of our own humanity and that of every other creature.
ST FRANCIS ASSISI PEACE PRAYER
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.