St. Francis is thought to have loved animals, and he did, but not because they were animals, but because they were created by God. Above all things he loved Jesus and his whole life he attempted to imitate His holy example. Near the end of Francis's time on earth he went off to a deserted place to pray. While he was there he was visited by a Seraphim, a angel that burns with love for God and he was given the Stigmata, that is the wounds of Jesus, the Crucified One, and thus, Francis was granted what he always wanted, he was one body and soul with Jesus. Two things show the kind of man Francis was. First, early in his conversion at San Damiono, he heard the instruction to rebuild the church for it was in ruin. He immediately began to rebuild the chapel, using money taken from his father. His father was furious, not so much because of the money, for Francis in his youth had wasted much larger sums than this, but because his son, once the prince of partiers, was becomming a laughing stock. He went to Francis and demanded the money back. In the presence of the bishop Francis cast off everything that belonged to his father including his clothing and returning the money told his father that from now on God was his father. The bishop covered his nakedness with his own robes. Francis found some peasant robes and began to wear them instead of the finery he was used to. He was mocked and scorned by the people that used to party with him but he kept faith with Jesus and began his lifelong task to rebuild the church, not out of brick and mortar so much but by infusing it with an example for the ages. The second incident came at the very end of his time on earth when after all of his labors and sacrifices he told his band of rag tag followers, "Brothers, let us begin now, for until now we have done nothing.
My prayer for all of those who carry Francis in their hearts, that they too become intruments of peace, that they take care to understand others and that they try to imitate the poverty of Francis, who was imitating Christ, by not being owned by the things of this world.
Remeber too that Francis even embraced death as a gift from God. Can we see beyond our selfish misery to see the Glory of God around us?
Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 2009
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