St. Francis: One who walked the Walk

Let us walk together and celebrate the spirit of St. Francis on a journey of worship, service, fellowship and peace during this Feast of our Father and Founder St. Francis. The life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi is a model for Christian living on so many counts. We are blessed to follow in his way. He is a guiding light for past ages and for ages to come, a prophet for our day, pointing out to all who dare to imitate him a way to fulfil the great commandment to love God and to love neighbour and to do it all with great passion. He encouraged friars to live the gospel in their daily lives. Friars and People were drawn to the Christ in him. He followed Christ’s example of inclusivity by ministering to the poor and outcasts of society. He knew that we don’t need great intelligence or education to be close to God. He recognized that there are two Bibles, the written Bible and the Bible of our lives. The Bible stories are meant to connect to our story. The Acts of the Apostles and saints of the Church continue to be enacted in our communities through our actions. Like Francis, we need to allow the Spirit of God to work in our lives. He made those connections in his life. He possessed great charm. He was attractive to friar and people. They may have been startled by what he had to say, but they were drawn to his child-like curiosity, to his sense of humour, and to his sense of joy. They listened to him and responded to his preaching. More importantly they responded to the way he lived his life, to his close relationship to Christ.

Francis is the passionate patron. As his heart was on fire with love for God, Christ, humanity, and all of creation so he sets our hearts on fire. Everything about his life showed that he belonged to God. He understood as Paul did when he wrote to the Galatians, that salvation comes at a great price. Christ died for us on the cross. Francis walked closely with Christ. He lived his life seeking to be Christ like. He prayed that God would allow him to share in everything that Christ had undergone. “Let my body share the pain that Christ suffered”, he prayed. “Let my heart share the love that Christ felt for the whole world.” He literally carried the marks of Christ in his body. Open wounds appeared on his hands, feet and side. These wounds are called the Stigmata, the wounds of Christ. In our twenty-first Century mindset it is impossible for us to understand that kind of ecstatic experience, but it attests to the relationship that he had with Christ. It is the relationship of one who walked the walk. It is a challenge to us to be Christ like.

He did indeed rebuild the Church of San Damiano, but by the sweat of his brow. He would collect stones from around the area and build brick by brick. As he began to realize the real intent of Christ’s message to build the Church, he turned his attention on ministering to the outcasts of society, and in particular to lepers. He visited hospitals, ministering to the sick and the dying. He preached the word of God in the streets of Assisi. He cleaned churches, fed prisoners, and begged for his living. He called everyone and everything his sister and his brother. He had an affinity for all of God’s creation. Let us build our fraternities by accepting one another as they are.

Today we celebrate his radical uniqueness. We celebrate the Good News of Christ. We worship God, serve our world and our community and strive to be instruments of peace. We know ourselves to be forgiven. We strive to be forgiving. As we travel on our journey we recognize our need to rebuild the Church of God. It starts with our church here in Maharashtra, this place that nurtures us.  It is about being the Church in the world. It is about our ministry together. It is about being a welcoming and nurturing community of faith. It is about serving beyond our four walls in our community. It is about openness to the Spirit of God working through us. Let us take on the challenge to grow. Let us grow in every way. Let us grow in grace and in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. The deeper we love God, the more we want to walk with God and Francis. We are created for God. Our talents and abilities are meant for Him, to do His will. Are we walking the walk with God and Francis to expand His kingdom and live the dream of Francis?