ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

Homily for Oct. 4^th, 2017: St. Francis of Assisi.

          Why does a gifted young man, son of a wealthy merchant, decide, on the verge of manhood, to exchange his privileged life for literal obedience to Jesus’ words to the rich young in the gospel: “If you would be perfect, go sell all that you have and give to the poor . . .  After that come and follow me”? (Mk 10:21, Mt. 19:21). That, in brief, is the story of the man we celebrate today: St. Francis of Assisi.

          Born in that central Italian town in about 1181, he was given the name John in baptism. When his father returned from a buying trip to France, he started calling his infant son Francesco; in English “Frenchy” or Francis. The boy’s youth was much like that of rich young men the world over, with one exception: Francis was always generous to the poor. One day in his early 20s, he encountered a leper. Though Francis had always had a horror of people with this disease, he was moved to stop, get off his horse, and kiss the leper.

          Praying one day in the tumbledown church of San Damiano, Francis heard the painted figure of Christ on the cross say to him: “Francis, do you not see how my house is falling into ruin? Go and rebuild it for me.” Some time thereafter Francis gathered costly fabrics from the family business, loaded them on his horse and sold both the cloth and the horse in the market. Returning to San Damiano on foot, Francis offered the proceeds of the sale to the priest, for the renovation of his church. When Francis’ father sued to regain his property, the case came before the bishop of Assisi, a man named Guido. He told Francis that he had cheated his father and must make restitution. Whereupon Francis withdrew and returned to court carrying the expensive clothes he had been wearing, and clad only in his underwear. From henceforth, Francis said, only God would be his father. 

          This was the beginning of a life as a wandering hermit and preacher, living in literal obedience to Jesus' words in the gospel. At his death in 1326 Francis had inspired over a thousand men to follow him. Francis never intended to found a religious order, and possessed no ability to organize it when it came. What he did have was the example of a gospel oriented life that continues to inspire people today – most recently the Jesuit archbishop of Buenos Aires who, on his election as bishop of Rome on March 13^th of last year took the name of Francis as a sign of his determination to serve the poor. So we pray in this Mass: "St. Francis, pray for Pope Francis, pray for us. Amen."