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Happy St. Francis Day!
Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. As a sponsored institution of the Sisters of St. Francis, we celebrate this day with hearts tenderly holding all that Francis has taught us. He is our spiritual guide. He teaches us the importance of relationship at all levels and the importance of staying in the PRESENT Moment. Francis was a man who saw everything as it was, as gift. All of creation and each of us is gift from God, the GIVER OF ALL GIFTS. And so, as Franciscans, we come in GRATITUDE for all that God gives us each and every day. He taught us that gratitude and praise are the key to freedom from materialism--a simplicity in which, when we are true to our call, we cling to nothing, and a JOY that flows from the awareness of how gifted we really are.
Francis teaches us about the importance of loving others and seeing their uniqueness as gift. The diversity of all God’s gifts is astounding if we can open our eyes to see the beauty of one another with all our differences. It gives us a broader perspective of beauty and goodness. Each of you have been gift to us, helping us see the immensity of God’s creativity, God’s goodness, and God’s love. Our prayer is that you feel and experience the love we have for each of you as well. The love we experience by seeing you walk through our doors brings immense joy. We thank you for all that you are.
Francis was a man of action. From his experience in war he recognized the importance of peace and worked toward it in every way especially by walking toward the Sultan during the Crusades. Although his initial desire was to convert the Sultan he soon recognized that both prayed to the same God. He listened and learned from him. When he speaks of his own conversion it is when he saw a leper who would normally have repulsed him but recognized Christ in him and all his brothers and sisters.
We all know the bird-bath Francis which we see on many lawns but there was a depth to Francis appreciation for creation. Although the global environmental crises was not evident in Francis’ Day (1181-1226) he has been and will continue to be at the forefront of a more sustainable earth, changing our perspective toward the natural world. He set forth the revolutionary philosophy that the Earth and all living creatures should be respected as creations of the Almighty. Since Francis saw God as his Father, all became brother and sister and so we see him praising "Sir Brother Sun", "Sister Moon", "Brother Wind", "Sister Water", and "Sister Mother Earth".
Born to an elite family, Francis’s life was forever changed by war in his home of Assisi. His experiences reordered his spiritual and personal priorities. They also left him in search of a peaceful and simple life with an intensive focus on the poorest among him. This has become a part of his legacy for those who follow his example. St. Francis' life and work is often cited to connect issues like conflict, sustainability, overconsumption, and poverty through the concept of environmental justice, as seen in the encyclical letter Laudato Si’. In this letter, Pope Francis writes: “[St. Francis] was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace” (Francis, Laudato Si’, 10).
As we contemplate the impact of St. Francis’ lived experience of faith and the theological tradition that grew around him, we can consider the many applications to today’s challenges and predicaments. Franciscan life is concerned with being present. It is focused not only on the heart and mind but also on showing up and being present: sometimes that showing up is through action and sometimes that showing up is by bearing witness. Through the lessons that can be extracted from his life, St. Francis challenges each of us to be present: to be present to ourselves, to one another, and to all of creation. By being present to all around us, we are being present to the God who created us in abundant love.
May we continue to be present to one another and may you know this Good God who created us and loves us passionately. We leave you with the Blessing of St. Francis:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He show His face to you and have mercy on you.
May He turn His countenance to you,
and give you peace.
Preview Sheet 2023-2024
PS: Since we cannot accommodate overnight retratants at the motherhouse, you might consider spending the night before or after the retreat at the hermitage so you can be in a peaceful quiet environment to reflect.
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