This is the 800th anniversary of the death of Francis of Assisi, whose life and example so greatly influenced the Jesuit Pope Francis that he chose his name for his papacy. It seems fitting, then, that today’s reflection is by local Franciscan Carolle Doyle – thanks to her for it.
800 years ago on the 3rd of October 1226 St Francis passed from this world into eternal life in the Umbrian town of Assisi where he had been born 44 years before. Surrounded by his Franciscan brothers he sang his Canticle of the Creatures praising God and all creation. The ‘creatures’ were Brother Sun and Sister Moon and as he lay dying he added a final stanza praising Sister Death.
This short account of his life begins with Francis as a young man when he was far from being a saint. Born into a wealthy family in Assisi Francis was loved by all spending his father’s money freely and giving alms to the poor but he had a weakness, he was afraid of lepers and would turn away and hold his nose if a leper approached. His greatest ambition was to become a knight and fight the young men of Perugia but before he could strike a blow he was captured and thrown into a dungeon and there he stayed until his father ransomed him.
Imprisonment changed Francis. He returned to Assisi praying that all that was bitter to him should become sweet and God granted his request for Francis met a leper and they embraced sharing the kiss of peace. In that moment the world turned upside down for Francis. He discovered the ruined church of St. Damiano with its painted cross and then the figure on the cross spoke to him. ‘Francis, rebuild my church.’
So the first order, the Brothers Minor was formed followed by the second order, the Poor Clares. In imitation of Christ’s disciples the brothers travelled and preached and it was by coming to a village and preaching that the third order for lay people was created when everyone in the village wished to follow the saint.
Perhaps Francis’s most famous sermon was given to the birds his ‘sweet little sisters, birds of the sky who are bound to heaven, to God your creator in every beat of your wings’. This is the Francis we most easily identify with. He is the Francis who devised the world’s very first crib service in a cave overlooking the little town of Greccio where it is still held every year. But the sweetness of the idea was borne out of a profound desire to imitate Christ.
In 1219 during the fifth crusade he travelled to Egypt and entered the fortified city of the Sultan Malik al-Kamil where he stayed for many months as an honoured guest. Here, surely, amongst the Sufi advisors of the Sultan he took inspiration for the ‘Praises of God’ recited by every Franciscan at every Eucharist.
In 1224 he fasted for 40 days on the mountain retreat of La Verna and there he received the stigmata. He drew closer to God and to Christ at La Verna but St Clare, who never took her spiritual eyes off Francis, persuaded him to follow Christ in loving service to mankind and continue preaching.
Before passing Francis blessed his brothers in words that are as comforting today as they were 800 years ago. In his words, ‘I bless you all in my life and after my death as much as I can and more than I can. May the Lord be with you always and may he grant that you may always be with Him.’