Homily for the Feast of St Francis 2025

 

Preached by Brother Christopher
Holy Wisdom Church

 

I suppose it is not surprising that of all the saints one could think of in Christian history – including St Paul – none has enjoyed the popularity and affection as much as Francis of Assisi. And it is not confined solely to Roman Catholics. Indeed, more than any other saint post schism and Reformation, Francis is able to transcend religious divisions and elicit a respect and appreciation that inspires people of all faiths. It is believed that more books and essays have been written about him than any other saint, and while our culture seems to tilt more and more towards secularism, Francis is one saint that is still somehow taken seriously. Why is that?

              It might be tempting to single out Francis’ commitment to Lady Poverty, whose praises Francis sung throughout his life as being chiefly responsible for this. As a genuinely poor man, Francis made himself equal to the least in his culture, and so won their love and devotion. Or could it have been his unapologetic love for nature, for recognizing in the grandeur of the environment God’s presence and glory? Certainly in our own day when the fate of the earth is at risk through our reckless and profligate exploitation of its resources and our deafness to the ecological consequences of global warming, it’s not hard to see how today many would see his example as a desperately needed voice in the wilderness, calling us to sanity. Then again, perhaps it was due to his awesome sharing in the sufferings of Christ, as evidenced by the stigmata that he received on Mount La Verna two years before his death. It would have been hard for his contemporaries to ignore what such a miracle represented.

              Each of these aspects of his life and spirituality are important and no doubt have a role in Francis’ enduring importance. But with respect, I believe what undergirds them all and what gives his spiritual legacy perennial wings is simply his radical adherence to the Gospel. It is said that when Francis crafted his initial rule for his followers he began by stating that “The Rule and the Life of the Friars Minor is to simply live the Gospel.” And in the ensuing rule he penned it was primarily a collection of New Testament passages strung together into a coherent whole. When Francis sent it off to Rome for approval it is said that Pope Innocent said, “This is no rule; this is just the Gospel.” And I can imagine Francis saying, “Exactly, that’s precisely the point!” Francis’ total simplicity and transparency captivated an entire generation, helping it to believe that the Gospel could be lived in a radical way. Francis showed them it was possible.

              Francis could never have imagined how his order and influence grew over the centuries and how that very growth and expansion forced the Friars to face adjustments to Francis’ radical vision. There’s the paradox that faces Christianity more broadly, and religious life and monasticism more specifically: in order to be truly faithful to the Gospel and the specific way the Spirit calls us to follow, we have the courage to continue to listen to what a radical following of the Gospel looks like in our own day, realizing that it cannot be a literal imitation of Francis. But what is possible is to take the passion, the desire, the creativity that characterized Francis’ life and use it as inspiration for charting our own way forward. What does such love look like today? And in this, I believe, we follow Christ.