Gospel Delights!

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, Religious

Gal 6:14-18; Mt 11:25-30

We celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the silent revolutionary! What he achieved can be broadly considered in terms of three points. 

Revolution Against Materialism: We all knew that St. Francis led a simple and poor lifestyle. However, he spent his early life in lavish comfort. With the new-found conversion, he began to detest all that he once desperately sought after. In fact, he started his war against materialism right in his household. For St. Francis, his father, who was a textile merchant and who wanted his son to take up his business, was a symbol of materialism. In this sense, his fight against materialism at home would only precede the fight that he would carry on within the Church. His rebellion against materialism was seen in the way he renounced his father’s household. 

Response Via Absolute Poverty: For St. Francis, the response to materialism began with a mendicant life. For the future, it was to found a mendicant order. And he did that! A huge number of young men were convinced to follow his lifestyle. The life of poverty that he envisioned for himself and his followers is unimaginable for us. Once, when a certain brother returned from Assisi with alms, Francis proclaimed, ‘Blessed be my brother who goes out readily, begs humbly, and returns rejoicing.’ St. Francis was immediately envious whenever he saw someone poorer than himself. In response to materialism, he chose poverty as his spouse, as his wealth, and sought to be the poorest of men for Christ’s sake.

Radicality of Fraternal Communion: Francis was distinctly known for his love of creation. His ecological virtue makes him a saint very much needed for contemporary times. “Canticle of the Sun” is a beautiful example of his radical communion with creation. I feel I am still limited by words to describe the radical who addressed the Sun as his ‘brother’ and the Moon as his ‘sister.’ His famous ‘Peace Prayer’ needs urgent reclamation today to confront our warring attitude against creation by depleting her. St. Francis of Assisi was a peacemaker. With inspiration and guidance from him, we need to make peace with creation. 

Pope Francis wanted to imitate his namesake. When his friend Cardinal Hummes whispered in his ears, ‘Don’t forget the poor,’ the Pope Elect could not think of any other figure than St. Francis of Assisi. Laudato Si is a testament to the continuing legacy of St. Francis within the Church. 

The first Jesuit Pope chose to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and said in all earnestness, ‘How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!’

St. Francis of Assisi is not a forgotten saint! But can never forget him though!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar