The Spirit of the Lord,
who had anointed and sent Francis,
and also Christ,
the power and wisdom of God,
were with their servant Francis wherever he went
so that he might abound with words of sound teaching
and shine with miracles of great power.
For his word was like a blazing fire,
reaching the deepest parts of the heart,
and filling the souls of all with wonder,
since it made no pretense
at the elegance of human composition,
but exuded the breath of divine revelation.
~a reading from ‘The Major Legend of Saint Francis’, by Saint Bonaventure, in A Sense of the Divine: A Franciscan Reader for the Christian Year
Today, October 4, Saint Francis Ministries remembers and celebrates our namesake and patron, St. Francis of Assisi, on his annual feast day. Some eight centuries after his death, people around the world continue to be inspired by Francis’ life and witness to the Gospel mandate to follow Jesus Christ and serve those in need.
The pithy quote “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words” is often attributed to St. Francis—as a quick tour of the internet makes evident. Surely, Francis lived in a way compatible with the quote, but it’s not at all clear that he ever actually said it. The implication that we never need to use words to proclaim the Gospel just so long as our actions silently do so likely would have surprised Francis, who was well-renowned as an eloquent and effective preacher!
Back in Advent 2024, at the start of this current liturgical year, I set out to get to know our SFM namesake a little better by adding to my spiritual practices a daily reading from the book A Sense of the Divine: A Franciscan Reader for the Christian Year. The readings come from primary sources about St. Francis, St. Clare of Assisi, and the early Franciscan movement. Some were composed in or just after his lifetime, while some come from the subsequent decades and centuries after his death in 1226 and canonization in 1228.
As I have learned more about Francis and his first companions, the nearly alien world of late medieval religious experience has come alive for me in surprisingly wonderful ways. Not least among those surprises is how similar our own modern time is to the world of corruption, cruelty, and indifference Francis confronted.
Born into an affluent mercantile family, Francis spent his youth in meaningless revelry and vain attempts at military glory. Encounters with the poor and vulnerable pricked Francis’ conscience, leading him into a period of deep disillusionment. His determination to embrace extreme poverty as a way of life was a radical act that left his family and friends concerned, confused, and even angry. It must have been so challenging to explain!
Famously, as Francis was coming to understand the shape of his vocation, he was once praying in the ruined church of San Damiano when he heard Jesus’ voice speaking to him from the crucifix saying, “Francis, repair my church!”
Francis took this call quite literally, spending some of his family fortune to repair the damaged building. His desire to fix what was broken continued after the repairs to San Damiano were made. Soon, Francis understood that Jesus’ words held a deeper meaning. He was being called to a work of renewal in word and deed for the soul of the church and not merely its buildings.
Thus, he launched into the great work of his life, imitating Jesus through his dual embrace of radical poverty and the luminous presence of God in all of Creation. His witness drew many of the young people of Assisi to join him in this work of spiritual renewal with practical consequences. He and the members of the new mendicant community he founded, the Order of Friars Minor, tended to those in deepest need and regularly traveled on extensive preaching tours.
Ordained as a deacon, Francis had a special duty to proclaim the Gospel. Once, having been summoned to preach before the pope and cardinals, he completely blanked out on the sermon he’d prepared. So instead, he prayed for words from the Holy Spirit. All who heard him came to believe that Christ himself had spoken directly through Francis!
Which brings us back to the quote about preaching through actions and using words only when necessary. St. Francis used both. And both his words and his actions pointed to something beyond himself, the profound love of God for all. Francis’ words and actions were aligned for the purpose of providing healing and hope in a time when both were in short supply. Our founder Fr. Bob Mize, like his favorite saint, sought to live a life of simplicity and service to the poor. Fr. Bob aligned his words and deeds for the sake of unconditional love, unrelenting forgiveness, and unswerving faith.
Today at Saint Francis Ministries, we follow in the same tradition of ensuring our words and our actions bring healing and hope to the children, families, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our care. How we work and what we say point to a vision of lives and systems transformed for the better. So let us all speak in the same the radiant voice of Christ the words the world needs to hear and always act accordingly!
We wish you a most blessed St. Francis Day!
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may, for love of you, delight in your whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~The Collect for the Feast of St. Francis, Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2024
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