SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI FEAST DAY OCTOBER 4
INTRODUCTION
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 our companions and gift from God on our journey. They cheer us on even our worst day. Thank God for our pets! May they bring us blessings and peace in these turbulent times.
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI BIOGRAPHY
In 1182, Francis was born to wealthy parents. 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; his release from prison was finally ransomed by his Father. After imprisonment and ill health, the world had lost some of its splendor for Francis.
Francis began to hear new voices. God’s voice became louder and clearer. One day Francis hears: “Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh, is now your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. When you have begun this, 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 profligacy, 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 Father is revealed in Jesus Christ and the journey home is in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. The radical commitment of Francis to his Lord was nourished above all by the Scriptures. Francis’ approach to the Bible was not one of analysis but one of immersing himself in the Word.
Francis began to understand God’s call to “rebuild his Church” was a 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 felt that evangelical poverty and victories over oneself were necessary means to spiritual growth in Jesus Christ. It wasn’t long before Francis had a chance to put these two pillars of spirituality into practice.
FRANCIS EMBRACES THE 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. When he had remounted, he saw no one. Filled with joy, Francis fell on his knees to thank God. 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.
As we enter more deeply into the Christ mystery (Incarnation) we will come to know the Word Made Flesh, the Word of God through whom all things are singularly loved into being. For Francis, to live the Gospel is to “put flesh and blood” on God and proclaim that God’s glory is fully alive throughout the universe. For Francis it is to become a mirror of Christ and footprints of Christ for others to see and follow.
REFLECTIONS
“Francis! Everything you have loved and desired in the flesh, is now your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know my will. When you have begun this, 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.”
Francis is reminded that all is vanity, all stuff goes away, all that remains is God. God gives and God takes away, just ask Job. We must get our priorities straight before it is too late. If we avoid God in this life, set him aside or play hide and seek, would we really be happy with him for all eternity.
Hell exists not so much as a punishment but rather as a place to go for those who want to go their own way. God forces no one to love him and be happy with Him for all eternity.
“Francis repair my house which is falling into ruin.” At first Francis mistook the message and thought God meant repairing a rundown chapel nearby. Then he got it. He was to rebuild the spiritual life of the Church by bearing witness in imitation of Christ, walk in the footsteps of Christ according to the Gospel.
We are those witnesses today. How are we living our faith and bearing witness despite all the noise and turbulence that surrounds us. Conversion happens one day at a time, one person at a time. You never know the effect of bearing witness to your faith has on others. In your own life, think when someone’s witness had an impact on strengthening your own faith.
“For Francis, the Father is revealed in Jesus Christ and the journey home is in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.” How are we following in footsteps of Jesus? Do we need some catching up? Do we pray that we may conform to Jesus this week, this day? Are we “a mirror of Christ and footprints of Christ for others to see and follow?”
Two years before Saint Francis of Assisi died, Saint Francis received in his hands, feet and side the Sacred Wounds from Our Lord’s own body. The wounds Jesus gave him stayed in his hands, feet and side, and continually bled for two more years, until he died in 1226.
FRANCIS RECEIVES THE STIGMATA