Sermon preached on the Feast of St. Francis at Trinity Church, Bethlehem, by The Reverend Canon Gwendolyn-Jane Romeril, October 4, 2003

Genesis 1:20-25

Galatians 6:14-18

Psalm 148:7-14

Matthew 11:25-30

Images are powerful. Herbert O’Driscoll says that: “explanations satisfy, but images haunt.” It is no mistake that our Lord taught in parables that were filled with images. The image of The Prodigal Son comes to mind, as he returns home….beaten, starved, and filled with remorse at his behavior and wastefulness. Yet the Father welcomes him with open arms, forgiving and feasting; giving us the image of God’s love for us. Or, think of the man who built his house on sand, while another man builds his house on rock. These are two of the images Jesus used in His teaching, that have come down the centuries, and continue to haunt us.

An image can serve as an icon, a window that opens us up to God, a vision that gives us a peek at what glory is. Throughout history, men and women have used images to help them focus on the deep mysteries of the Divine. Images have led them to God, and given them a glimpse of something holy and indescribable.

Something beyond their imagination and understanding. Sometimes the images are sculptures, such as the St. Francis statue we see here, or pictures, or a representation of Jesus upon the cross. Sometimes the images come from prayer cards, or Prayer Beads, or music. Sometimes the image is the life of a saint, and that saint becomes an icon of God for us. That is, their life experience opens out into the life of God, and draws us into that place of intimacy. St. Francis was just such a saint.

St. Francis grew up in wealth and position. He spent hordes of money on himself and his friends, dressing in the finest of silks and satins, giving parties and banquets, and deliberately turning his back on the poor. In fact, when he saw a leper, Francis ran in the opposite direction. He had a bad temper, and fought with his neighbors.

At the age of 21, Francis dreamed of becoming a knight in shining armor. When war broke out between Perugia and Assisi, Francis joined the army to defend his town. His dream of fame and glory soon faded, as he saw many of his friends and comrades die. He himself was captured, and thrown into a dungeon for a year. I’ll bet you didn’t know St. Francis was a POW. He was held hostage until his father paid a ransom for his release. But something had happened to Francis in prison. He began to have compassion, and live with a sense of direction. God was speaking to Francis in his dreams, and holding up a vision of a very different life than the one Francis had been living. He began to steep himself in the Holy Scriptures. He shed his arrogance for a sense of child-like trust and innocence. He seemed to have boundless love for all of creation, and for all of God’s creatures. He became so gentle, that even wild animals came and rested at his feet. And the birds, it is said, sat on his arms and shoulders.

His father was not happy when Francis stripped off his clothing and renounced his wealth in front of the whole town. His father was a cruel man, and Francis was afraid of him. He ran away and hid in a dark pit for a month. During this time, he confronted his fears and inner wild beasts, as well as the wolf of Gubbio. He made friends with the wolf, and tamed not only him, but other animals as well. And so the legend about Francis and his transformation, grew. It seems that during the time of being a prisoner of war, and his time in the pit, God was doing a new thing in Francis. In the midst of darkness he was experiencing light. And so that line in his prayer: “...where there is darkness let me bring light…” comes out of his life in a real way.

It was in a little country church that Francis had the most defining moment in his conversion. He saw the crucified Christ, as if for the first time, and his heart was torn open. He knew then what he had never known before; that God loved him unconditionally, and forgave all his sins. And Francis’ sins were many. But once he understood the power of God’s claim on his life, in the person of Jesus Christ, Francis was never the same. He walked around on his hands, telling people they needed to see the world upside down in order to get a new perspective. When God told Francis to: “Rebuild my church”, for a while he thought God meant bricks and mortar. Later Francis realized, that God meant His people. They needed care and nurture and ‘rebuilding’.

Francis gathered about him a small band of men. Francis became alarmed when the numbers grew into the hundreds. It was never his intention to have so may people following him! He wanted only to maintain poverty, and service to the poor, in a quiet, unassuming way. The advent of large buildings and libraries and administrative responsibilities troubled him. His life, though poor, was filled with joy and praise to Almighty God. His rule was strict, and simple.

1. Deny yourself something every day, to strengthen the will.

Give up some pleasure you desire.

2. Do a good day’s work. It improves the soul.

3. Do not complain about anything. Even the weather.

4. Seek solitude and silence more.

5. Do one or two things daily, for no other reason than you don’t want to do them.

6. Control your senses. What you speak, see and listen to. What you eat.

“Eventually”, Francis said, “a spiritual solitude and presence will surround you. So that you will be able to recollect God no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing – whether at work or play, traveling, or talking on the street. You will learn to build a solitary place within.” This is what St. Francis did.

We thank God today for the life and witness of St. Francis, and that his life can be an icon for us, opening a window into the heart of God, so that we can become more compassionate and forgiving, more able to love, as Jesus loved. We pray that we might follow his example of high praise and prayer, in appreciating God in all things, of saving and restoring as much of God’s creation as we can; and of serving the poor in the name of Jesus Christ. And may we never forget that St. Francis was not always supremely high on joy. His journals tell us that he was often plunged into despair and depression. At such times he wrote: “Even in depression, when I cannot pray, I pray this prayer. It helps dispel my despair. My faith is restored.”

Let us turn now in our prayer books to page 833, and say together the prayer that St. Francis himself prayed.

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