4 October 2023 - Homily for Wednesday of the 26th week in ordinary time - St Francis of Assisi - Luke 9:57-61

     When one of the disciples calls out to Jesus today, “I will follow you wherever you go,” I don’t think he realized the implications of such a statement. I don’t think he realized the many crosses he would have to bear as he followed Jesus. From our hearts, we might in all sincerity want to follow Jesus wherever he goes and wherever he calls us, but it could lead to a very difficult challenging journey.  

     I am sure St Francis of Assisi never dreamed of the places where God would call him. St Francis, whose feast day we celebrate today, is one of the most popular saints of any age. I was reading an article about St Francis that said that he is much more than a popular lawn ornament. I think we tend to domesticate and tone down the saints, making them these quaint, pious examples of faith, ignoring their flaws, their true radical nature, and the true reality of their lives. It is well-known that Francis lived a very wealthy pampered life, but then an encounter with a leper changed his life and helped him look at God in a new way. He gave away his worldly riches and proclaimed a radical Christian message that got back to a lot of the heart of Christ’s teachings. The way Francis saw God in all creation, the way he reached out to the poor, his love for animals: many people of our modern world can relate to a Franciscan spirituality.  In 1986, when Pope John Paul II called a peace conference of world religious leaders, he held it in Assisi, the hometown of Francis. Today, we recognize that if we do not see ourselves as stewards of the earth’s resources, if we don't see God in the beauty of creation, a message embodied in St Francis of Assisi, then perhaps we are denying a foundational aspect of our faith.When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina became Pope in 2013, he had a special place in his heart and his ministry for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized, which is why he chose his name for pope after Francis of Assisi. For so many throughout the world, both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the name of Francis of Assisi symbolizes poverty, humility, simplicity, and a rebuilding of the Catholic Church. We have a lot we can learn from St Francis of Assisi.