Celebrating St. Francis

Of all the saints, Francis is perhaps the most popular and admired but probably the least imitated; few have attained to his total identification with the poverty and suffering of Christ. 

Lesser Feasts and Fasts, p. 450

Just over eight hundred years ago, Francis was born into a family of a wealthy cloth merchant. Charismatic and charming, Francis reveled in all that his father’s wealth could provide. He participated in various military campaigns, but only succeeded in getting himself captured. (At that time, poor soldiers would be killed on capture; wealthy combatants were imprisoned and ransomed.) One of these occasions saw Francis imprisoned for a year while ransom was negotiated. 

After his release, various encounters with beggars and lepers began a shift that led Francis to withdraw and live in a cave for a time. Praying in the old church at San Damiano, he heard God calling “Go, Francis, and repair my house which, as you see, is well-nigh in ruins.” Realizing that everything he had came from God, he sold some of his father’s cloth to purchase building materials. This infuriated his father. So, he dragged Francis to the local bishop, demanded return of the money and threatened disinheritance. Francis returned the money, stripped off the clothes he was wearing, renounced all material wealth, and from that day devoted himself to serving the poor. 

Over time, others joined him. His companions came from all walks of life. Francis practiced true equality, showing honor, respect, and love to each person. Communal life was centered on the Jesus directives: sell all you have and give to the poor, take nothing for your journey, and take up the cross daily. Francis took these commands so literally that he made one brother run after the thief who stole his hood and offered him his robe! 

Various stories are told about Francis’ interaction with the natural world. Once, seeing a great field covered with different kinds of birds, Francis left his friends and ran into the field. Filled with awe, Francis began preaching 

“My brother and sister birds, you should praise your Creator and always love him: He gave you feathers for clothes, wings to fly and all other things that you need. It is God who made you noble among all creatures, making your home in the air. Without sowing or reaping, you receive God’s guidance and protection.”

The birds stood still, only flying off when he said they could leave.

Another time Francis was called to the town of Gubbio where a wolf was terrorizing the townspeople and their animals. Francis intervened to keep them from killing the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat.

In 1210, Pope Innocent III confirmed the simple Rule for the Order of Friars Minor, a name Francis chose to emphasize his desire to be numbered among the “least” of God’s servants. Later with his friend Clare, Francis founded a second order for women, the “Poor Clares” and then a third order for people who would follow his teachings but remain in their own community. (Arin Water, a parishioner here at All Saints’, is currently in training to enter the Third Order of the Society of St. Francis).

The order of Friars Minor grew rapidly all over Europe. In 1219, Francis went to Egypt where crusaders were besieging the Muslims. Undaunted, he went directly to the sultan, who was so impressed by his preaching that Francis was given permission to enter Jerusalem, permission which extended to Franciscans for hundreds of years. However, when Francis returned to Italy in 1221, he found he had lost control of the Friars Minor. His ideal of strict and absolute poverty was found to be too difficult to maintain. He handed over control of the order and worked on refining the Rule. Francis found his “cross” within the community he had founded. His last years contained much suffering of body and spirit, but his unconquerable joy never failed. 

This Sunday, All Saints’ will celebrate St. Francis with a petting zoo at 10 AM and Blessing of the Pets at 4 PM. All are welcome! 

Sources for this article include Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2022, The Encyclopedia Britannica, and CatholicOnline.