A Vision and a Dream

     On October 3, 1226, a young 45 year old friar of Assisi named Francis died.  In his brief life he experienced a transformation that changed his life and he brought about a transformation that changed the Church and society at large.  He had a vision of a renewed Church that led to a dream of a new way of living life that was rooted in the Gospels.  His vision caught on ... and his dream became a way of life.

    On October 3, 2020, 794 years after the young Francis died, an older Francis, who chose his name in honor of the Saint of Assisi when he became Pope, celebrated Mass at the tomb of the other Francis in Assisi, and then signed and promulgated an Encyclical Letter entitled "FRATELLI TUTTI" on the Fraternity and Social Friendship.  The encyclical was published on the feast of Saint Francis, the 4th of October.  Here is how the encyclical begins:

     "FRATELLI TUTTI" ["Brothers and sisters all"].  With these words, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel.  Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother 'as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him'.  In this simple and direct way, Saint Francis expressed the essence of a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.

     This saint of fraternal love, simplicity and joy, who inspired me to write the Encyclical " LAUDATO SI' " ["Praise be to You" from the Canticle of Saint Francis - an encyclical "on the care for our common home"], prompts me once more to devote this new Encyclical to fraternity and social friendship.  Francis felt himself a brother to the sun, the sea and the wind, yet he knew that he was even closer to those of his own flesh.  Wherever he went, he sowed seeds of peace and walked alongside the poor, the abandoned, the infirm and the outcast, the least of his brothers and sisters."

     Pope Francis continues: "It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we may contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity.  Fraternity between all men and women.  [As the Holy Father said in an address at the Ecumenical and Interreligious Meeting with Young People in Skopje, North Macedonia, on 7 May 2019].  'Here we have a splendid secret that shows us how to dream and to turn our life into a wonderful adventure.  No one can face life in isolation ... We need a community that supports and helps us, in which we can help one another to keep looking ahead.  How important it is to dream together ... By ourselves, we risk seeing mirages, things that are not there.  Dreams, on the other hand, are built together.'  Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all."  

      I look forward to sharing aspects of this Encyclical Letter as they touch my heart, and I encourage you to find a copy soon and prayerfully read it.

Saints and Angels - Part III

      As we continue with this past week's feasts of saints and angels, we move to October 1st, in which the Church honors one of the more popular saints - Saint Therese of Lisieux, or the "The Little Flower".  Her Religious name is Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and she was a cloistered Carmelite nun who lived from 1863 to her death at the age of 24 on September 30, 1887.  She entered Carmel at the age of 15.  She died of tuberculosis.

     In her short life she lived a simply yet intense life of prayer and humble service, and shared her life in written journals that have become spiritual classics.  She is recognized as a Doctor of the Faith for her exemplary life.  She is seen as a highly influential model of holiness because not only of the simplicity but the practicality of her approach to the spiritual life.  She is often depicted with roses.

    The next day, October 2nd, is the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, a celebration which first surfaced in the 4th century and has found various expressions over the centuries until established by Pope Paul V in 1608 and made a major feast in 1883.

     Angels are very popular today as they have been over the years.  Growing up, I remember being told that we each have an angel that God gives us to watch over and protect us, helping us to find our way to the Lord.  Even George Bailey in "It's A Wonderful Life" had Clarence as his guardian angel, thanks to Hollywood.  I would say that most of us who grew up Catholic remember the prayer we were taught - "Angel of God".

     I often comment on the incorrectness of popular thought when people say that a person is an angel ... the truth is, we are called to be saints, and the angels are those entrusted with our care along the way to holiness.  

     Then comes today, the 4th of October, which this year is celebrated as the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  But traditionally the 4th is the feast of the great Francis of Assisi, one of my favorites.  Francis lived from the late 1100's to the early 1200's, and in his relatively short life literally changed the course of the world, both culture and society and definitely the Church, with his simplicity of life and his radical vision of joyful Christianity.  Our present Holy Father, who chose the name Francis after the friar of Assisi, wrote an encyclical letter five years ago entitled "Laudato Si!" which echoes Saint Francis' love of all of creation ... and Pope Francis yesterday issued another encyclical entitled "Fratelli Tutti", using the opening words of Saint Francis addressed to his brothers and sisters calling them to a gospel way of life.  The Holy Father presents a vision of humanity working in love and respect with each other to create a world where "all are brothers and sisters" in Christ.

     Francis was a man of vision who challenged the status quo to reach for the heavens, and Pope Francis shares his vision of a better world in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ by living out the gospel imperative of love.  He speaks of fraternity and social friendship among the human family.  I'm sure it is worth the read ... as I'm sure that for the most part it will be ignored.  What a shame, in a world that has lost its way.

     This has been a great week of inspiring and challenging examples of friendship with Jesus.