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 our companions and gift from God on our journey. They cheer us on even our worst day. Thank God for your pets!
But today, I want to focus on St. Francis , Model of Virtue. If we are going to fight off temptation and avoid sin, we must fight them with opposite virtues. For example, if Pride is your particular weak spot then work and pray for humility. If you have angry thoughts and say angry words then work and pray for patience.
A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. (CCC 1803) Moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts. (CCC 1804) Charity is the Theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake and our neighbor for love of God. (CCC 1822) The practice of all virtues is animated and inspired by CHARITY. (CCC 1827)
FRANCIS OF ASSISI
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; 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. 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: “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.
The tradition of courtly love, that so captivated Francis as a young boy, is the key to his singular vision of Christian virtue and spirituality. Doing the will of God is not a response to a command to obey, but an exchange of love for love. Just as the courtly lover undertakes painful and bizarre feats out of love and service to his Lady so as to impress her, Francis will now do anything to impress the love of his life, Jesus Christ.
It was another “Lady” that now impressed him, Lady Poverty, who he saw reflected the image of Christ,. Francis solemnized his “wedding” with his beloved spouse, Lady Poverty, under whose name he surrendered all worldly goods, honors and privileges.
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 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.
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.
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.
CLOSING PRAYER
O Almighty and all-knowing God,
without beginning or end,
who art the giver and preserver of all virtue:
Grant me the virtues I am most in need of
Prudence to resist the wiles of the Devil
Temperance to hold to moderation in all things
Patience that I may bear what may seem to be unbearable
Grant I may never lust after the goods of my neighbor but pray for my neighbor that they be blessed
Grant that the goods I am blessed with may be shared generously with others
And grant that I may never rush to do things hastily,
nor balk to do things demanding,
Amen.
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