Francis - Part 2

Last week you and I studied the early years of Saint Francis of Assisi leading up to his decision to follow Christ. During his conversion period, Francis moved out of his father’s house and into a little chapel called “St. Damian’s.” One day, Francis was in the sanctuary when Christ seemed to speak to him from the crucifix. “Francis,” the voice said, “don’t you see my house in ruins? Build it up for me.” Francis had no way of knowing that Christ was calling on him to renew the whole Church of his time. He thought he was being asked to repair the little chapel. According to one of his principal biographers, this was the critical event in the conversion process of Francis. We know that it radically changed his life. He began to find the materials needed to repair the Church. This led to a confrontation with his father and a break in their relationship. It seems that Francis had taken several bolts of expensive cloth from his father’s business and sold them. He would use the money to buy materials for the chapel repairs. He assumed that since it was for such a good cause, there was no reason even to ask his father for the cloth. The father, who had already been upset by Francis’ new lifestyle, now was beside himself with anger. This son of his, whom he was counting on to take over the family business and keep the family fortune growing, was hanging around with the poor and lepers and wasting his time with a broken-down little chapel. So angry was the father that he had Francis arrested and charged as a thief for stealing the cloth. When Francis was brought to trial, all the townspeople gathered to witness the event. And, in one of the great scenes from his life, Francis removed his fine clothes and laid them at his father’s feet. Thus, he added to his dishonor in his native place to symbolize his casting off every trace of self-centered materialism.

As you probably know, Francis is famous for his great love of animals and nature. For example, he loved birds, whom he called his “sisters.” He believed that the birds’ singing was their way of praising God. The moon was his “sister,” the sun his “brother.” He spoke of “brother fox,” “brother fire,” and so on. But these things are all related to the one thing needful in the life of Francis: his great love for God. Toward the end of his life, he was heard to pray all night long, “My God and my all! My God and my all!”

In our own time and circumstances, to relate to God in this way, to love God in this way, as Francis did, is to discover what life is ultimately all about. Like St. Francis, we are called to dismount from our high horse and turn our lives around to meet face to face our brothers and sisters at the point of their greatest need. When you do so, don’t be surprised when you see the face of Jesus looking back. Like St. Francis, now let us pray: “Our God and our all. We have come to do your will in all things, in imitation of Christ.” Amen.