Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,
October 4th is the feast day of perhaps the most universally beloved of
our Catholic saints. Saint Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1182. It
was a time of great social unrest, political uncertainty, cultural change,
and corruption both outside and inside of the Church. It almost
sounds familiar!
The family of St. Francis was a part of the rising merchant class, so he
was raised in wealth and privilege. During an attempt at gaining family
social prestige through military activity, Francis was captured and
imprisoned. During his imprisonment he became ill, and it was in this
time that he was converted to giving his life to God.
Early in his attempt to discern God’s call for him, Francis received the
commission from God to “Rebuild my Church.” At first Francis took
this literally and began restoring small neglected chapels around Assisi.
But then he began to realize this was a spiritual call to rebuild the
Church. Francis spent his short life following the call of Jesus. As his
movement began to grow, so many people wanted to join his way of life that a Rule was developed and approved first for secular people living in the world, then two years later for religious men, and finally for religious women.
For Francis the call was to live in simple dependence on the providence of God. He embraced a life of poverty. In a Church that had become encrusted with wealth, this was both attractive and frightening. Other groups preached radical poverty during this time but also fell into heresy and separation from the Church. Saint Francis was very conscious of being within the Church and obedient to it.
Eight hundred years later the message of Saint Francis continues to attract and frighten us. It is a call to continual conversion and simplicity of life and of heart. It is a reminder that earthly things are passing and we are to set our hearts on what is eternal. It is a call to give ourselves completely to God.
Saint Francis wrote a beautiful prayer known as the Canticle of the Sun. There are many musical renditions of this prayer. My favorite is All Creatures of Our God and King. This is
a rather long prayer. The last verses remind us of our goal in this life:
Praised be You, my Lord, through Our Sister Bodily Death,
From whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most
holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and
serve Him with great humility.
Msgr Cox
Window at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Chilpancingo de los Bravo, Guerrero, Mexico