Celebrating the Feast of St Francis
October 6, 2024
On October 4th, the Church celebrates the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis is one of our most beloved saints because of his humility, his gentleness and especially his joy in God’s creation. Francis loved all of creation because he saw that it belonged to God. He called the birds and other animals his brothers and sisters because, he said, “We all have the same Father.” The world and everything in it was one big family to Francis. This sense of joyful gratitude gave him an excitement in living and a gentle courtesy to all that he met—people, animals and birds. (from Weaving God’s Promises)
In our book of common prayer, the very first prayer that is listed in our collection of prayers and thanksgivings is the prayer for Joy in God’s Creation…and it invites us to share, with St Francis, this same sense of joyful gratitude for the whole creation…
1. For Joy in God's Creation
O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the very beginning, God called all of his creation good, and entrusted the care of the whole creation, into our hands and our care…
On this day, when we celebrate the life and witness of St Francis of Assisi, the stories that have been told about his life, teach us lessons about creation through the stories of birds and animals that highlight his teachings about humility, gentleness, patience, peaceful kindness, joy and gratitude…
One tells a story of Francis and Creation…when he blesses the birds…
Francis and Creation
Francis was making a trip when he came to a place where a flock of birds—doves, crows and jackdaws—had gathered. When Francis saw them, he left his friends in the road and ran toward the birds. When he was close to them, he greeted them, and they did not fly away. So he begged them to listen to the word of God: “My brother birds, you should praise your Creator enthusiastically and always love God.” The birds gazed at him, so Francis touched their heads and bodies and blessed them before sending them on their way. (Weaving God’s Promises)
At the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Sante Fe, New Mexico, there are several statues and plaques with stories about St Francis on the grounds of the church…one, of course, this story about him preaching to the birds, and then blessing them…
Another story that is shared there on the grounds of the Cathedral is the one that depicts the story of Francis and the Wolf…
Francis and the Wolf (weaving God’s promises)
There was in a city a large and fierce wolf that was so hungry that it ate not only animals but also people. All the people in the town were very frightened. They took weapons with them everywhere they went, as if they were going to war. But even with their weapons, they were not able to escape the sharp teeth of the wolf when they were so unlucky as to meet it on the road. The people grew so afraid that hardly anyone dared go outside the city gate.
St. Francis was visiting there one day and decided to go out and meet the wolf. The people warned him not to go, for he surely would be attacked and killed. But St. Francis ignored their pleas. Putting all his faith in the Lord, he went bravely out to meet the wolf where it lived. The wolf came running toward him with its mouth open. St. Francis made the sign of the cross toward it, and the power of God stopped the wolf in its tracks.
St. Francis said, “Come to me, Brother Wolf. In the name of Christ, I order you not to hurt me or anyone.” The wolf closed its jaws, lowered its head and lay down at St. Francis’ feet. St. Francis then made peace between the wolf and the people, making the wolf promise not to hurt any animal or person ever again.
The wolf promised by raising its front paw and putting it in the saint’s hand. Then the wolf began to walk along beside St. Francis like a pet.
From that day on, the wolf and the people lived peacefully together. The wolf went from door to door for food, hurting no one; the people fed it gladly and not a single dog barked at it. When the wolf grew old and died, the people grieved because its peaceful kindness and patience reminded them of the holiness of St. Francis.
What do you suppose this story might have to say to us? What else is it causing us to wonder about?
Do we all have a wolf within? If so, to what extent is the wolf ravaging in us? Are we afraid of something? Are we angry about something or angry at someone? Are we shutting ourselves off from the rest of the community, from the wider creation of all God’s people and creatures, because of our anger and our fears of the other?
To what extent is the wolf within us, open to be tamed? Are we opening our hearts to the power of God to bring mercy, forgiveness and healing? Are we willing to reach out to our brothers, our sisters, and all of creation and seek to be instruments of peace…are we willing to enter into those places of hate, and sow love; go where there is hurt and forgive; lead where this is strife and division, to become one; address doubt, by sowing faith; bring hope to places of gloom; sow light, in the darkness of people’s souls; where all is tears – bring joy?
Are we willing to go, as St Francis and many others, who have gone on before us, have been called to go …answering Jesus’ call to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”? Preaching love, forgiveness, unity, faith, hope, light and joy?
Are we willing to spread the joy of this good news – that God’s love is for all of his people and all of creation? And that Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, has paved a way for us to be reconciled to God and one another …as we strive to walk in love, as he has loved us…
This love is shown to us, in all of creation….the people, the birds, the animals, the trees, the oceans, the rivers, the mountains, the rainbows….whenever our eyes are open to behold God’s gracious hand in all of creation…there is joy…joy and gratitude for all of God’s gifts, that remind us to love and care for one another, with humility, gentleness, patience and peaceful kindness…
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
*image - unsplash