Homily: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (Luke 9:57-62) “The Fool for Christ”

The story of St. Francis of Assisi is a fascinating. He is said to be the most Christ like saint there ever was. He wanted to reform a church that was very corrupt. The clergy were living in luxury while the poor suffered. How Francis brought reform is a lesson for us all.

He did not openly criticize the clergy. He was not a priest, so he did not have access to a pulpit to preach from. He didn’t want to be ordained. He did not want status. He wanted to be a lowly brother with many comrades who would live as he lived.

The way he preached was with his life. We could say that his was a life of social protest. He did not want to participate in the political or economic system of his day. He came from a wealthy merchant family. He could have had a comfortable life, but he chose not to.

In 11th century Assisi there was a prosperous cloth industry. Francis’ family-owned little factories where cloth was made and dyed and shipped to other parts of the world. The people who worked in these factories lived poorly and the working conditions were terrible. The merchants controlled the local government, and they controlled the church as well. In fact, the two were really one entity.

Francis saw the people being taken advantage of and he did not want to exploit people in this way. He wanted to apply the Gospel so that his society would be transformed.

He put aside his wealth and refused to participate in “the system.” He did not wear fine clothing, but owned only one tunic that was patched repeatedly. When I had the privilege of visiting Assisi Francis’ tunic hung on the wall for all to see.

Francis chose to beg in the streets and give the money to the poor. Francis slept in the open. He had no home of his own. He nursed the sick and fed the hungry. Again, he preached by how he lived. When people saw what he did they began to believe that the Gospel was not a fairy tale but was a way to transform the world.

Reflection Questions:

1.    What is more effective preaching with words or actions? How can I preach with my actions?

2.   Why did Pope Francis pick his name? Is this a statement about where he hopes to take the church?

Dear Parishioners,

          This afternoon at 2 p.m. we will be blessing pets by the Sacred Heart statue near Culemans Hall. I have tried to do this every year that I have been at Sacred Heart. Why do we do this?

          St. Francis called the sun his brother. He called the moon his sister. He was the first ecologist. He believed that it was the vocation of all Christians to protect all creatures great and small. This was truly a pro-life stance.

          We need Francis’ values more than ever as we worry about global warming. We ask Francis to intercede for us as we worry about our planet.

          May Our Lady pray for us,

          Fr. Mark