Feast of St. Francis of Assisi - October 4

One of the most 'popular' of Christian saints is St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, creation, ecology and peace. Born in the late 12th century to a cloth merchant in the Umbrian town of Assisi in Italy, he enjoyed a privileged and adventurous life as a young adult.

After recovering from a long sickness, two significant events transformed his life. Encountering a leper on the road, Francis was moved to share his cloak and kiss the man's cheek. Then while praying in a run-down church, Francis heard Jesus speak to him from the  crucifix, asking him to rebuild his church. At first he took the words literally and went to work restoring the building. Gradually, he realized that he was being called to help the Catholic Church return to the simplicity and spirit of the Gospel. Francis financed his mission by helping himself to his father's merchandise, which did not go over well at all! In a dramatic and public encounter, Francis repaid his father and returned even the clothes off his own back, completing the transformation into a person of simplicity, humility and poverty.

At first derided for his counter-cultural lifestyle, he eventually began attracting other men who shared his commitment to serving the poor and living simply, the "Friars Minor". St. Clare of Assisi and Francis became great friends, and she established a community of women which later were known as the "Poor Clares". Francis rejected violence as ignoring the Gospel commandment to love, and had an ever-deepening awareness of the sacramentality of all creation. All people, all animals, all things were due respect as a reflection of the grace of God who is the creator of all.

Francis sought to conform his life completely to Jesus Christ, and two years before his death (at age 44) he received the 'stigmata' - the marks of Jesus' crucifixion, on his hands and feet. His holiness and influence was so apparent that he was canonized a mere two years after his death. Several favorite prayers or sayings have been attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, including the one which begins "Make me an instrument of your peace..." and this beautiful song of praise for all creation:

The Canticle of the Creatures
Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord! all praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. ...
All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made, and first my Lord, Brother Sun, who brings the day; and light you give to us through him. How beautiful is he, and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars, in the heavens you have made them, bright and precious and fair.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air and fair and stormy, all the weather's moods, by which you cherish all that you have made.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water, so useful, humble, precious, and pure.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten up the night.  How beautiful is he, how playful! Full of power and strength.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces diverse fruits, with colored flowers and herbs.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Blessed are those who endure in peace, by you, Most High, they will be crowned.
All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, from whom no one among the living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they She finds walking by your most holy will, for the second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord and give thanks to God, and serve God with great humility. -St. Francis of Assisi 

Of note:
St. Andrew the Apostle parish is served by the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. This quote of St. Francis demostrates well the mission of their religious community:

In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis, there will be a blessing of animals this Saturday, October 3 in the courtyard outside the sanctuary at 10:00am. And while Francis may have tamed 'brother wolf', we ask that you bring your pets on a leash or in a cage, please!

And finally, the scripture that you will hear at the masses this weekend will NOT be the texts for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary time, but those for the Feast of St. Francis:

Sirach 50: 1-7

Psalm 16

Galatians 6: 14-18

Matthew 11: 25-30

(Background information on St. Francis of Assisi is from All Saints by Robert Ellsburg)

Today in Scripture

Psalm 138:
In the sight of the angels I will sing your praises, Lord.
     
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.
     
Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.
     
All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O LORD 
when they hear the words of your mouth;
And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD “Great is the glory of the LORD".

Today is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Far from the popular images of chubby-cheeked cherubs, or pastel-tinted super-nannies, these "messengers of God" named in Scripture usually had to start their interactions with humans with the words, "Fear Not".  And with good reason: usually when an angel appears, something consequential is in the works!

Why do we have a feast day for angels? What does that say about what we believe? Well, let's go back to the Nicene Creed, "We believe in one God.... maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen."  In God's creation, there are spiritual realities that exist beyond our ability to detect with our senses. It's not just all about us! Angels, we are taught, are intelligent beings, created by God with free will and without the limitations of a physical body. Their eternal purpose is to glorify God and assist in working for our salvation. (Catechism of The Catholic Church nos. 328-336)

In the Diocese of Raleigh, we have parishes named for each of these archangels: St. Michael in Cary, St. Raphael in Raleigh and St. Gabriel in Greenville. "Each of these archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides [and heals]. Earlier belief that inexplicable events were due to the actions of spiritual beings has given way to a scientific world-view and a different sense of cause and effect. Yet believers still experience God's protection, communication and guidance in ways which defy description. We cannot dismiss angels too lightly." (source: www.americancatholic.org)

As unsettling as it can be to consider a reality beyond our own explainable experience, how comforting to think of so many protectors and guardians helping us on our spiritual path to our common Creator!

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Scripture readings for this Sunday, September 27 are:

Numbers 11:25-29

Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14

James 5:1-6

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

The focus for this week's catechetical session will be on "Catholic Social Teaching".  I think it is a wonderful 'coincidence' that September 27 is also the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of charity. You can learn more about him by visiting this page.

This quote is from the blog for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Los Angeles; strong words for his followers, and a challenge still today.
"You will find out that Charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the full basket. But you will keep your gentleness and your smile. It is not enough to give soup and bread. This the rich can do. You are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good-humored. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting master you will see. And the uglier and the dirtier they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them." - St. Vincent de Paul
~ As quoted in Homelessness in America: A Forced March to Nowhere (1982)

Today in Scripture

The Gospel reading for today is Luke 9: 1-6

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God 
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

     Sometimes when I travel, I feel as if I'm taking my entire house with me. Clothes, shoes, shampoo, book, ipod, laptop, camera, magazine, cell phone, just one more sweater, etc., etc. "Take nothing for the journey"???  It may be that Jesus was trying to encourage his apostles to have to interact very directly with, even be dependent upon, strangers. Don't just go out and do your stuff and then hole up in the hotel ... connect with people! And in making the Twelve the recipients of the hospitality of the very people they are supposed to minister to, it becomes a reciprocal relationship: we each share of our own gifts to help one another.

     It can be difficult to admit the need for help. We're trained to be independent, self-sufficient. Trusting that God will indeed provide all we need is a challenging concept to believe fully. But sometimes those healing miracles can only happen when we let go of needing to be the person who makes them happen, let go of all the extra stuff that distracts us or weighs us down, and just be present to the opportunities of the moment.

•      Who has 'fed' or 'sheltered' you in your faith journey? 
•      What in your life makes it difficult to live your faith effectively?