Homily – 10-03-04-2008 – St. Francis of Assisi

Today we anticipate the feast of one of the most beloved saints in Church history: St. Francis of Assisi, whose actual feast day is tomorrow, Oct. 4^th.

For a man small in stature Francis Bernardone of Assisi made a giant impact on the spirituality of the Catholic Church in a time in its history (the 13^th century) when it so desperately needed someone to help it find its way again – to regain its balance – to remember where it came from in the first place and who it really was! This was not Francis's idea, but rather Jesus' who told him to "Go, rebuild my Church!" It took Francis several years to even begin to understand what that actually meant or that anything that he was doing had anything at all to do with that command!

Francis knew one thing for sure though: HE WANTED TO BE POOR – AND POOR HE WAS! Poor in material things – and poor in spirit!

Francis was a "tangible saint" – so many seemed to be able to identify with this barefooted, raggedy-clad wanderer – so poor materially, yet so rich in what really mattered – spiritual intimacy with God.

The life of Francis can be described in 12 ways (like the numbers on a clock): it was a life of simplicity, of joy, of solitude, of humility, of creativity, of chastity, of community, of compassion, of appreciating God's creation, of service, of peace, and of prayer. He emulated all of these concepts and activities to an amazing degree!

It is about the last three that I would simply like to elaborate (service, peace, prayer): SERVICE: unless our personal lives of prayer and solitude leads to service of others – as many others as possible – then it is truly meaningless – we must love as Jesus loved or what's the point?;

PEACE – if our prayer and service of God does not promote peace (beginning within ourselves), then we have not grasped the object of our endeavors at all: JESUS who alone grants peace; unless "wage peace" and not "wage war" begins to be our motto – then we have "missed the boat of the Church" spiritually – we cannot give away what we don't possess, love or peace;

lastly, if PRAYER, spiritually-energy-revitalizing prayer is not a permanent part of our daily spiritual diet, then we lose touch with Jesus and his love and his peace and we have nothing to give anyone!

Francis and the many thousands of members of the Franciscan community throughout history and today seek the balance of all twelve of these realties in their lives – so they have something worthwhile to share with others: to share with the hungry and the homeless; the sick and the dying; the naked and the imprisoned. For if they, and we with them do not minister to those who have such needs then Jesus will say to us on Judgment Day: when you did not do these things: you did not do them to me – away with you! Sometimes we think he is kidding here – but I think he is very serious!

Let us rather be among those who hear Jesus saying on that Day: COME, BLEST OF MY FATHER – INHERIT THE KINGDOM THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR YOU FROM MTHE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD – FOR I HAD MANY NEEDS AND YOU TOOK CARE OF THEM ALL by ministering to the very least of my brothers and sisters!