Fears and Tears

As the jubilee year of hope concludes, a new year is upon us, The Year of St. Francis.

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special year coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. According to the decree, Pope Leo has established that from Jan. 10, following the closing of the church’s Jubilee Year, until Jan. 10, 2027, a special Year of St. Francis may be proclaimed, in which every Christian, “following the example of the Saint of Assisi, may himself become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.” (Source: Catholic Spirit)

St. Francis is one of my favorite saints. I was blessed a couple of years ago to visit the beautiful city of Assisi and explore the areas where St. Francis grew up.

The city of Assisi is built up in the mountains illuminated with the hue of pink in the stones. The streets are narrow and steep, and the town has a feeling that time has stood still. Beautiful cobblestone streets, courtyards, fountains, shops, and views of the Tuscan countryside could be seen.

St. Francis led a simple, humble, poor life that was rich in peace, prayer, and love. He founded the Franciscan Order, preached, wrote poetry, had the stigmata and mystical experiences, rebuilt San Damiano Church, and was a lover of God’s creation.

As a part of the tour, before we went up the mountain to the old town of Assisi, we visited the little Church he restored, which is inside the beautiful Cathedral of the Angels. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about his life and emphasized that he is a beloved saint of Italy.

In Francis’s early years, he grew up in a wealthy home and lived a life away from God and steeped in the world. Over several years. he experienced the call of God, and had a profound conversion to live the faith in a special call from God.

I have always had a love for animals and the beauty of creation since I can remember. It is the wonder and awe of the Creator; God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They bring peace to my soul. That is where I feel connected to my brother, St. Francis.

St. Francis Prayer of Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.