Reflection for St. Francis Feast day

The whole church and the Franciscan families will celebrate on October 4 the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was born in about 1182 and died in 1226. He seems to appeal to almost everyone. Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians have great affection for the "poor man" of Assisi.

His sensitivity to the presence of God in all people and truly in all of creation has attracted people of every generation. More than most, he opened his life generously to the Word of God. This impelled him to live a simple, unpretentious life which was placed at the service of the Church, his brothers and sisters who followed him, the world at large, and to everything created by God. Filled with a deep sense of God as a loving Parent, he was easily able to respect and cherish all creation as his brothers and sisters.

This simple man speaks to us today in our own very complex world. The list of people who find inspiration and hope in St. Francis is almost endless. All that he said and did helped to capture the imagination of his time, and of the times which have followed. He saw himself as a minstrel of the Lord and called everyone to take up the same vocation:

"What are the servants of the Lord, but his minstrels who should raise the hearts of the people and move them to spiritual joy!"

Fr. Russell Becker