Readings:
2nd Reading: Phil 4:6-9
Gospel: MT 21:33-43
Holy. Strong. All Good. Love. Wisdom. Humility. Patience. Joy and Gladness. Justice. Beauty. Hope. Protector. Our Great Sweetness.
These attributes and praises of God heard in our first reading today by St. Francis, speak to a reality that is not beyond or outside of us, but that is within us as Imago Dei - the images of God - and woven into and throughout the very fabric of creation. This weekend we honor and celebrate the life and witness of St. Francis of Assisi, one of our patron saints here at Sts. Clare & Francis, and we draw on his wisdom and spirituality rooted deeply in devotion to the God present in all of creation and uniquely embodied in the life of the Christ to help guide us and accompany us in the work we are called to today.
There is power in choosing and there is power in naming. The names we choose for ourselves are incredibly significant and have consequences. To highlight this on a personal level I’d like to share a little about my own relationship with St. Francis and then look at our community’s relationship with Francis. When I was facing the choice to be confirmed into the Catholic faith and had my doubts and questions about the institution and whether I really believed or wanted to be a part of it, the saint I turned to and chose as my confirmation saint was St. Francis of Assisi, and I have been blessed by that choice and naming ever since. When I traveled to Peru as a lay missionary, the church that I attended and served at was St. Francis of Assisi. It was through this Franciscan church community that I met my now husband, Roger, and we connected and grew in love through music just like Francis was a great lover of music, composing songs like the canticle of creation which we sung at the beginning of Mass. When I returned from Peru and was searching for a faith community that would honor and welcome my gifts I found Sts. Clare & Francis, ECC. The spirit of Francis has accompanied me in working to reconnect with the greater web of life in my development as an ecofeminist theologian and spiritual leader. I draw on the spirit of St. Francis in prayer frequently and I can feel his support, love, and encouragement.
When this community was first forming and deciding on a name for itself, it chose Sts. Clare & Francis. In choosing Clare & Francis we invited in their spirits and legacies in a special way to guide us as a community and I believe they have. For the past year and a half or so we have been going through a process of discernment and visioning as a community to refine who we are and what we are called to do in the world as a witness to our faith. We can look to the saints we chose to model ourselves after to help give us wisdom and insight in this process, into the kind of community we are called to be at this time.
We are called to ‘Preach the Gospel always, when necessary use words.’
This wisdom of Francis reminds us that our actions speak louder than our words. We are incarnate, embodied, divine beings. Yes we are called to speak out with our words as Francis frequently did, but our lives and actions should match those same values and beliefs spoken out loud. Choosing how to spend our time and resources speaks to our values as a community, and the witness of Francis calls us to take seriously the Good News of Jesus and work to realize the beloved community where justice reigns here and now in our midst. Part of this Good News involves making a preferential option for the poor, a vow that Francis and his community took seriously and that is a core part of Catholic Social Teaching today. How are we complicit in economic systems that continue to increase the wealth gap between the rich and poor, and what are we doing to not only meet the needs of those who are impoverished today but transform the systems keeping them impoverished tomorrow? And as we preach the Good News with our actions and work to transform these systems of inequality we are called to do so with great joy and celebration, with song and dance, praising our God who accompanies us in this work.
We are called to rebuild the house of God which has fallen into disrepair.
What is the house of God? Francis I think went through a few different understandings of this call which I believe continues to be our call today. At first, he thought it was the physical church building where he first heard the message. Later he came to understand it to be the wider church community and structure. And still further I believe he understood it to mean the whole of creation as the dwelling place of our God. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ - an encyclical deeply inspired by St. Francis of Assisi - reflects this understanding that this earth is our common home, the house of the living God which has not only fallen into disrepair but is being intentionally and systematically destroyed by human actions. I think we can see this call of Francis both in terms of rebuilding a new kind of Catholic community and also repairing the incredible harm happening throughout our common home. We are called to heal and repair the harm that has been committed in the name of God and Christ by welcoming and celebrating diversity and allowing each person to share their God given gifts with the church and with the world. We are called to help heal and repair our shattered relationships with the great web of life and to take bold, prophetic action in response to the worsening climate crisis.
We are called to foster inter-religious dialogue and respect
One famous encounter that St. Francis is known for is his meeting with the Muslim Sultan of Egypt during the Crusades, a bloody war between Christians and Muslims. Christian leaders were using fear and hatred to encourage young men to take up arms and fight against who they were told were their enemies in order to preserve their religion and way of life. Unfortunately we see a similar story playing out today. Francis however, at great personal risk, traveled and met with the Sultan of Egypt who received him and treated him warmly. It was through spending time together that Francis’ eyes and heart were opened to the beauty and deep faith of the Muslim people and he re-wrote his Order to include living peacefully among Muslims. We too today in an ever-changing world of religious diversity are called to get to know our neighbors and kin of differing faiths, to speak out against the violent actions fueled by white supremacy and Christian supremacy targeting other faith groups, and to work together to bring peace to our world. Which brings me to our final calling from Francis:
We are called to be peacemakers.
What does it mean to be a peacemaker in a violent world? St. Paul in his letter to the Philipians we heard today speaks of both the peace of God and the God of peace. St. Paul lived in the shadow of Roman occupation, in a violent world that saw his message as a threat to the status quo and powers that be, and imprisoned him and ultimately murdered him for his faithful witness. It is believed that this letter to the Philipians was written during one of his imprisonments. And yet he is able to speak of peace, and love, and justice even in these conditions because he knows a peace in his soul that only God can provide.
St. Francis lived during violent times. Prior to his conversion he was a soldier and prisoner of war. After his conversion he continued to see great violence carried out in the name of God and Christ. He suffered ridicule and ostracization by family and friends, and yet he too continued to speak of good, love, justice, and peace because he knew the deep peace of God within him.
How do we cultivate this grounding peace within us today and bring it into the world? We hear the powers that be call for peace in order to maintain their violent status quo. There is a chant we say in the streets: No justice, No peace - which recognizes that true peace cannot be separated from the reality of justice. Our call to be peacemakers in a world of violence today is a call to work for true justice so that all life can be healthy and thrive, and we do this work of justice rooted in the peace of God who hears our prayers and petitions, and who accompanies us in the struggle.
There is a proverb: the more things change, the more they stay the same. While St. Francis lived over 800 years ago, the wisdom and witness of his life continues to be relevant to the times we are facing and our call as Christians today. I would like to end by inviting us to reflect on who we are called to be as channels of God’s peace in the world today as we listen to this beautiful prayer of St. Francis sung by Taft. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKxuixb_ki0&list=PLYVjnvP5OvXfAFFMVJBXnnCahr-s7ECuu&index=5)
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