On October 4 each year, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The figure of Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) has always captured the imagination of people from all walks of life: Christians and Muslims, royalty and prime ministers, rich and poor, intellectuals and workers, philosophers and theologians, poets and novelists, artists and filmmakers, historians and sociologists, peacemakers and environmentalists, people of all religions. Lenin is supposed to have said, "If I had 10 Francis of Assisi I could convert Russia". Francis of Assisi has captured the attention of billions of people attracting admirers among atheists and believers of other faiths. The last communist leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev (who, although maintains his atheism), knelt in silence in front of St. Francis's tomb in Assisi for more than 30 minutes in 2008. Today more biographies exist of the Little Man of Assisi than of any other saint and new studies appear every year. Now, for the first time, we have a pope that has chosen the name ‘Francis'. Why do so many people go after St. Francis of Assisi today?
Francis, the Church's most popular saint, was a person who lived out the Gospel better than anybody. Taking the Gospel seriously and living it passionately, he followed the footprints of Jesus Christ religiously, becoming an extraordinary example of Christian living in our world. Part of his charisma is his very ordinariness, his closeness and accessibility to the average person. He lived an extremely radical, counter-cultural lifestyle which included poverty, prayer, fasting, and preaching. He believed in the physical as well as the spiritual imitation of Christ (Imitatio Christi). This radical Christian lived a simple, humble and poor life yet the effect of his life on others and his impact on society and the church was extraordinary. He was a giant in Christian goodness, a great figure in the church known especially for connecting with fellow Christians and many people outside the Christian family; a powerful social and religious reformer. Giving up his own self, he "got dirty" in the messiness of human living to bring peace, understanding and love to follow Christ radically to become the "Mirror of Christ", a vivid reflection of Jesus Christ. There are many people who claim to be Christians but not many are willing to live according to Christ's teachings.
Francis was very much a man of action. He gave away his worldly possessions and lived a life of radical penance, manifesting itself in a deep spirit of poverty, simplicity and humility. His life of penance was evangelical in its fervor and purpose, namely, to lead people to God in Christ. For Francis, a life of penance was a way of life, involving a radical self-emptying and self-surrender, open to constant change under the daily guidance of the Divine. It was also a life of service to the poor, the disabled, and the marginalised. Francis believed that deeds were more important than creeds. He said, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching." He exhorted his brothers: "Preach the gospel at all times and use words when necessary."
Francis ‘the poverello' was a brother to everyone. He saw the Divine not only "in all the peoples of earth" but also in all created things, and he sought a reconciliation of all creation with both humanity and with God. He saw himself as part of the ecosystem. He talked lovingly and personally to the stars, trees, birds and animals etc. and referred to all creatures and created things as "brothers" and "sisters" and therefore all of the environment is worthy of respect. How very appropriate in these trouble days of environmental crisis. In 1979 Francis was proclaimed by Pope John Paul II as the patron of ecology, as was cited by the Pope as "an example of genuine and deep respect for the integrity of creation."
Francis, the "God-intoxicated" Christian mystic was ahead of his time in ecumenism. The Catholic Church recognizes the good in the world religions and seeks to embody reconciliation and peace in all its endeavours. St.Francis did likewise. The beautiful Peace Prayer of St. Francis embodies all of his spiritual ideals and values!
What makes Francis special and gives him his universal appeal is his genius of living out in his actions the essence of his Christian convictions. The love of Christ led naturally for Francis to a love of the Church and the Pope, for it is through the Church that the Holy Spirit continues Christ's saving work. To the voice of Christ speaking to him from the crucifix "Francis, go and repair my church", Francis acted promptly and repaired the church as a whole. It was not that Francis did not see the Church's weaknesses or infidelities, but for Francis the way to combat these was not aggressive criticism but constructive example. An example converts much more powerfully than criticism!
The new Pope, like St. Francis, is a man of reform calling the church "back to basics", and back to the Gospel. He reminds the church and the world ‘not to forget the poor', and to be vibrant ministers of mercy and compassion. Surprising the world by taking the name of St. Francis of Assisi, the name which symbolizes poverty, humility, simplicity, peace, love for creation and rebuilding the catholic church, the pope of surprises and genuineness, reminds the church and the world of today to follow the model of humble and joyful St. Francis to ‘repair the church' and to heal the broken world.
May the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi help us keep ever alive a sense of ‘fraternity' by walking the path of dialogue, peace, openness, poverty and reverence for nature.
