Today we celebrate the feast of our patron, St. Francis of Assisi. This year is especially meaningful for us because we are celebrating the Jubilee Year of St. Francis. It gives us a beautiful opportunity to reflect on the life of the man whose name and patronage we carry as a parish.
St. Francis’ life was really a story of conversion.
He grew up in a wealthy family and loved the things the world had to offer: comfort, possessions, excitement and recognition. But after experiencing the horrors of war and battle, he began to see the emptiness of the world. As much as he had loved the world, he realized that the world could not love him back.
Then Francis discovered something far more important: someone was already in love with him.
He discovered a God who had created him, who became man for him, and who loved him so much that He gave His life for him on the Cross. He discovered a God who continues to give Himself to him in the Holy Eucharist and who gives us the dignity of becoming His children through Baptism.
This experience of God’s love changed Francis.
There is a beautiful tradition that after spending time in prayer in a cave, Francis emerged weeping and saying, “Love is not loved.” He had discovered that the One who is Love was not being loved as He deserved.
And so Francis spent the rest of his life trying to love the One who had loved him first.
He embraced a life of penance and simplicity, surrendering his attachments and learning to depend completely upon God. After hearing the Gospel in which Jesus sends His disciples out with nothing, Francis understood that Christ was calling him to the same radical trust.
We often associate St. Francis with animals, but his love for creation was really an extension of his love for God. He saw creation not as something to possess, but as a gift that points us toward the Creator. His relationship with creation was almost a return to the innocence of Eden.
There were especially four things Francis loved deeply.
First, he loved the Church. When Christ spoke to him from the Cross at San Damiano and said, “Francis, go repair my Church,” Francis dedicated himself to renewing the faith of God’s people.
Second, he loved Our Lady. He had a profound devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and entrusted his mission to her.
Third, he loved Jesus Christ crucified. Francis understood the Cross as the greatest revelation of God’s love. Whenever he encountered the crucified Christ, he was moved to tears—over his sins, over Christ’s suffering, and with gratitude for the mercy God had shown him.
And above all, Francis loved the Most Holy Eucharist.
He understood that the same Jesus who died upon the Cross gives Himself to us in the Eucharist. He encouraged Christians to adore our Lord, to prepare themselves well to receive Him, and to recognize the incredible gift of Christ’s presence among us.
At the end of his life, Francis bore the wounds of Christ in his own body. He had loved Jesus so deeply that he became conformed to the One he loved.
Perhaps that is the greatest lesson our patron gives us. St. Francis teaches us that the greatest thing we can do is love the One who is Love.
As we celebrate this Jubilee Year, may we ask St. Francis to help our parish grow in that same love: love for the Church, love for Our Lady, love for the Cross, and above all, love for Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist.
May our parish always be a place where the love of Christ is known, received and shared.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
Father James Schibi, Pastor