October 4, 2009 Sermon
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St. Francis Day - 2009 (10:30am)
Emmanuel, San Angelo.
October 4, 2009 Allan Conkling
October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, and has for years meant the annual Blessing of the Animals at Emmanuel. But few people actually know the story of the man, St. Francis. To most St. Francis was a lover of nature and a friend to the animals. But there is so much more to this interesting individual:
Francis was born in Italy in the 12th century.
His name at birth was Francesco Bernardoni, and he was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. As a youth he joined the military to make his mark, and to find fame and glory.
But along the way his travels brought him into contact with the other side of life: the beggars and the lepers, the dispossessed and the down-and-out.
Francis became an advocate for the poor, but he did so by taking on the lifestyle of the very ones he served.
This is the "other" side of St. Francis we rarely ever hear of.
One of my favorite stories about St. Francis is the legend of the Wolf of Gubbio. Gubbio was a small village near the town of Assisi. Legend has it that a huge, vicious wolf lurked near the village, eating the men, women and children if they dared to enter the forest. One day as he traveled there, Francis met up with the wolf. Having no sword or shield, his only defense was the sign of the cross. As the wolf came towards him Francis said,
"Brother Wolf, in the name of Jesus Christ I command you not to harm me nor anyone else!"
In that instant the wolf was changed. He came and lay like a lamb at his feet. He placed his paw in Francis' hand, showing that he was sorry for all the bad he had done. From then on he became to Francis like a pet, and everyone who saw it was amazed.
The story became like a parable of God's love. The people understood that like the wolf, they too often hurt others, and destroyed God's creation. Francis said to them,
"Return then, dear people, to the Lord. Repent and God will free you from the wolf within."
And all the people learned that even wolves can be tamed by the love of God, even the wolves within.
God calls us today to love others, and care for all of Creation. We are to show compassion, advocate social justice, and be a voice for the voiceless. As our pets love us unconditionally so we are to love all people and animals in God's name. St. Francis would have us do nothing less.
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Revised: 10/08/09