Lambs Among Wolves

October 4, 2007

Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, religious

He said further: "Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!" Nehemiah 8:10

He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Luke 10:2-4

Piety

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/100407.shtml

Don’t worry. Be happy. That can’t be, can it?

Well that may be a bit too trite, but today we celebrate all that the Lord God has created. On this feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, the readings appear to lead us into temptation. They do encourage us to revel in all of God’s creations. The earth. The plants. All living things. We are told to “eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks.” But don’t stop there. As Nehemiah reminds us, “Celebrate the day of the Lord and share your gifts with those who are poor.”

“Rejoicing in the Lord must be your strength.” The Lord is not seeking followers who grovel before him. Instead he seeks women and men who will stand up in His presence and serve the people that the Lord has baptized. While we are grateful for all that he has shared with us, we also must share the abundance that we have with those who have not been blessed in the same way. That is why action – charity – love – is the third leg of our tripod.

Yet as we revel in what Gerard Manley Hopkins calls the "grandeur of God," we also must beware of what happens when the world meets us head on. The world says, “Celebrate!” But that is where everything ends…with a selfish celebration that forgets about the poor at our gate, in our streets and even those not in our sights. We become immune to seeing them there just like Divas ignored Lazarus at his gate until it was too late.

St. Francis not only celebrated God’s gifts, but he also modeled Christian life by forming communities of men and woman who would follow Christ’s instructions to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News. St. Francis sought to gather as many laborers as he could in communities to carry out the Gospel mission. From the inner cities of Boston and New York to the parishes in Quantico or Durham, Franciscans are everywhere that the Church is.

By modern standards, the world might have dismissed Francis as a religious fundamentalist who took the gospel message too literally. He gave up his clothes, his life and his worldly possessions. Francis took to heart today’s Gospel message: Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way (Luke 10:2-4).

Modern culture likes to dilute the message of the Gospel. That watering down allows us to rationalize only following “the easy things” we are called to do. St. Francis showed us how easy it is to follow what we think are the harder messages. As such, Franciscan spirituality is marked by the awe its founder placed upon humility and charity.

In this life of penance and in this embrace of the leper, Francis was enamored by two dimensions of God's relationship with us. First of all, Francis was struck by the humility of God manifested in the Incarnation. The Eternal Word of God became Flesh and made His dwelling among us. Similarly, Francis was struck by the humility of the risen and glorified Christ who makes Himself present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. Secondly, Francis was enamored by the great charity of God who gave His only Son for the life of the world; a Son who later gave His life over completely in the incredible charity of saving us from our sins. (From http://www.franciscans.org/franciscanspirituality.cfm)

Action

How can you live today in humility and charity?

Although we may not be asked to “kiss a leper,” many people are outcast from our society today like the leper was isolated in the 13^th century. Who is such a modern day leper whom you can embrace?

The unemployed who lack the connections and respect that is afforded to people who are working?

Those without health care insurance who will be crippled not by a minor injury, but by the bills they would get form the emergency room? Those people with insurance not only get the benefit, but they also get the lower prices that doctors will accept from Blue Cross and other providers. Such discounts are not afforded to the working poor.

Those without citizenship in this country? In Europe, the borders between nations have been relaxed and everyone uses the same currency. Yes we still blame all immigrants for the attacks of a radical fringe element at work on September 11. Yet for lack of a piece of paper in the form of a birth certificate or passport, foreigners are not welcome here. Those who are here fear deportation even if they are here legally.

Can you walk in any of their shoes today? Dare to do it with the blessed intercession of St. Francis.