Word to the Wise
Tuesday, October 4, 2022 - Oct. 4 - St. Francis of Assisi, religious
[Gal 6:14-18 and Matt 11:25-30]Greatest of his family,... the glory of his people, in whose time the house of God was renovated, in whose days the temple was reinforced." [Sirach]
OCTOBER 4 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
[Sirach 50:1, 2-7 and Matthew 11:25-30 These scriptures are proper to the Feast of St. Francis, whom we Dominicans call "Holy Father Francis." In places where this day is a simple "Memorial" the scriptures are Galatians 1:13-24 and Luke 10:38-42]
Greatest of his family,... the glory of his people, in whose time the house of God was renovated, in whose days the temple was reinforced." [Sirach]
We Dominicans venerate the memory of St. Francis of Assisi, even if history shows that relations weren't ALWAYS smooth! There is a legend that St. Francis and St. Dominic once met and exchanged belts - St. Francis got a white cord and St. Dominic got a leather belt! Another tradition, occasionally still honored, has a Dominican preaching at a Franciscan place on this feast and a Franciscan doing the same thing at a Dominican place on the feast of St. Dominic (Aug. 8). However, the lines from the Book of Sirach were no doubt chosen because of the motivating vision that Francis experienced in which God told him "to rebuild my Church which has fallen into ruin!" Francis used money from his family to rebuild a Church and was disowned and embraced voluntary poverty as the principal charism of the vast family of friars, sisters, cloistered nuns and laity known today as Secular Franciscans. It would be a rather romantic thing as in the movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon, but that vision is motivating our current pope [a Jesuit, no less!] to "rebuild my Church!"
Voluntary poverty, simplicity of life and love for all God's creation are distinctive parts of the Franciscan charism. One would think that this would be a welcome vision anywhere, but St. Francis faced considerable opposition to his vision because it was very new, just as St. Dominic did. Religious life was only monastic in that time. Wandering preachers were frowned on. And wealth, especially church wealth, was celebrated. St. Francis' initial labor at rebuilding churches was more than simple reconstruction of buildings. It became a symbol of his "revolution." Pope Francis is experiencing the same resistance in his efforts to reform the Roman bureaucracy and set a new vision of "missionary discipleship" for the entire church.
The personality and life of St. Francis of Assisi are very attractive and idealistic, but his mission must not be forgotten and lives on in our day not only in his sons and daughters in the Franciscan family, but in the continual reformation and renewal of our Church. AMEN
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