Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

Readings of Saint Francis Solemnitywith Sequence

New signs of highest sanctity
Deserving praise exceedingly,
Wondrous and beautiful to see
In Francis we behold.

Unto the newly-gathered band
Directed by his guiding hand,
Francis receives the king's command
The new law to unfold.

Before the world's astonished view
Arise the life and order new,
Whose sacred laws again renew
The evangelic state.

The above poetry is from the Sequence of Saint Francis of Assisi. Franciscan friars and sisters throughout the world will hear these words today, along with scripture passages reflecting the “Gospel of Saint Francis.”

In these opening verses of the Sequence the word new appears five times. In Francis’ day people were generally suspicious of anything new. The gospel had not seeped so far into everyday life that “good news” sounded like a good thing. They preferred the good old sameness.

When Francis greeted them with a new salute, “Páce bene” they wondered what that meant. “Peace and good? Why not just say good morning or hello? After his death, as the friars shared stories and reflected on his life, they realized that something new had happened. They believed his impact was as profound on their world as that of Jesus in ancient times. 

The medieval suspicion of newness might surprise us today until we consider how fearful we still are of the new. Traditional science, in particular, insists that there is no room for divine intervention in the world. Everything is mechanical; if we had a computer big enough to calculate all the variables we could predict everything from next month’s weather to the stock markets to international politics.  

Contemporary science leaves room for God. Unpredictability has returned. No one can forecast an earthquake, a 100-year storm or a pandemic disease. The gospel is always and forever something new. It is unexpected, undeserved, unearned grace from our Good God. The faithful wait upon it and count upon it even when they cannot see where it might come from. Can an ocean split open? Can a teen shepherd with a leather sling defeat a heavily-armed, giant warrior? Can a man rise from the dead? Can a small group of religious illiterates convert the world’s greatest empire? Can an Iron Curtain be lifted or thousands of nuclear warheads be dismantled?

Saint Francis taught us to expect the unexpected. Expect grace. Pope Francis teaches us the same thing when he speaks of discernment. "Leave room for God!" Traditions, doctrines and ethical teachings are good things but only God knows how they should be applied in any given situation. The disciple of Jesus prays for divine guidance continually.

You make thousands of ethical decisions every day, most of them unconscious and habitual. You begin each day by greeting others, “Good Morning.” It’s a blessing on your day, an assurance that I mean you no harm. You never know that this morning’s greeting might have warded off a suicide attempt. It might have reconnected a lost soul to her human companions. The decision to go with the flow of traffic despite your hurry might have saved several lives, and you weren’t late after all. Isn’t it amazing that millions of people drive tens of millions of miles every day and there are so few accidents? Someone is paying attention.

Saint Francis taught us to listen to God continually, and to expect God's impetuous spirit to direct us in unexpected directions. He had no plan when he set out; he didn't even suppose that others might want to follow him. He wanted only to let God direct his steps. Here was adventure beyond human imagination!