[Coffee with the Saints]: Francis and True Joy

So today is October 4th, which you probably know is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. If you want to know more about the basics of who Francis was and how his life played out, check out this link here: Who was St. Francis of Assisi? 12 Things to Know and Share. Inevitably, today will consist of the blessing of pets and lots of talk of Francis' love for all creation-and this is all well and good. In fact, Francis' Canticle of the Creatures (it's really beautiful), one of his most famous writings, is a long song of praise to God for the creation he saw around him, from the Sun to fire to flowers and herbs. Francis truly had a love for creation that is not to be forgotten (he was known to preach to the animals, some stories say), but what I want to reflect briefly on today is a different aspect of Francis' life. You see, the love of animals and of all creation is good and important, but we must remember that Francis' love for creation didn't happen simply because he thought creation was beautiful; he loved the creation because he was so in love with the Creator that he saw no way to ignore the beauty of creation.

What I specifically want to reflect on in Francis' love of the Creator is what he saw as perfect joy in the midst of our lives here on earth. Lest we forget the true depth of Francis' faith and level him out to simply be an animal-loving hippie (again: there is nothing wrong with loving animals), let me quote to you a passage which has been handed down since the time of Francis, the first record of it known to have been written in the 14th century, not too long after Francis' death. We don't have the actual account from during the time of Francis' life, but we can be pretty sure this is how it went, and it has been handed down like this:

True and Perfect Joy: [Brother Leonard] related in the same place that one day at Saint Mary's blessed Francis called Brother Leo and said: "Brother Leo, write." He responded: "Look, I'm ready!" "Write," he said, "what true joy is."

"A messenger arrives and says that all the Masters [theologians] of Paris have entered the Order. Write: this isn't true joy! Or, that all the prelates, archbishops, and bishops beyond the mountains, as well as the King of France and the King of England [have entered the Order.] Write: this isn't true joy! Again, that my brothers have gone to the non-believers and converted all of them to the faith; again, that I have so much grace from God that I heal the sick and perform many miracles. I tell you true joy doesn't consist in any of these things." "Then what is true joy?"

"I return from Perugia and arrive here in the dead of night. It's winter time, muddy, and so cold that icicles have formed on the edges of my habit and keep striking my legs and blood flows from such wounds. Freezing, covered with mud and ice, I come to the gate and, after I've knocked and called for some time, a brother comes and asks, 'Who are you?' 'Brother Francis,' I answer. 'Go away!' he says. This is not a decent hour to come wandering about! You may not come in.' When I insist, he replies: 'Go away! You are simple and stupid! Don't come back to us again! There are many of us here like you - we don't need you!' I stand again at the door and say: 'For the love of God, take me in tonight!' And he replies: 'I will not! Go to the Crosiers' place and ask there!'

"I tell you this: If I had patience and did not become upset, true joy, as well as true virtue and the salvation of my soul, would consist in this."

Isn't that an incredible story? Francis, in a certain sense, tells the future of his order: royalty, theologians, and people from all over would come to join his order, starting during his life and increasing exponentially afterwards. He knew, though, that if he ever came to appreciate these things more than he did the love of God, he would be giving in to the temptations which Jesus faced in Matthew 4, the temptations to love the world and the creation more than the Creator.

For us, then, this is something to reflect on for this great feast day. Do we love the Lord enough that even if we had everything we could possibly ever dream of, our joy would be more complete if we were to suffer for the Lord? When trials, temptations, and difficulties come our way, are we so caught up in love for Christ and Him crucified that we are able to take joy in our suffering? If everything were to be taken from us, every created good was no longer ours to appreciate and to love, would we still love the Creator?

Today we will celebrate this great saint, and celebrate him we should. We should celebrate his life and the way that he suffered on earth for the Lord. We should celebrate the beautiful work of the order he started. We should celebrate the beauty and the depth of the teachings he left behind. We should celebrate the fact that we have a wonderful saint in heaven praying for each one of us.

Along with celebrating, though, we should learn. From Francis, we can learn that whatever comes our way, it will be sanctified and make us more perfectly full of joy if we unite it to Christ's suffering. Francis literally left everything behind (he got naked in front of the bishop in the middle of town...), from his material things to his status in society, in order to follow the Lord; and he spent much of his life suffering in poverty for that decision. For him, though, this suffering was pure joy. May we learn to suffer for the Lord, that our suffering may be united to His and bring us true joy.

 St. Francis of Assisi...

Pray for us!