Most of us know of St. Francis of Assisi through the legends of his great compassion and respect for animals. But, as this lengthy but fascinating New Yorker review from 2013 shows us, Francis love for animals did not come from sentimentality. It was, instead, part of a radical embrace of Christs way of absolute humility, love for all creation, and identification with the oppressed. Describing Francis and his early followers, the author writes: By day, the brothers did the kinds of work that Francis felt were sanctioned by the Gospel. They renovated churches, tended to lepers, performed manual labor for farmers and artisans, preached, and prayed. They could accept a payment of bread and fruit for their labor, but they were not allowed to have money. Nor could they, in any way, save up for the next day. They could not own any dwelling they lived in. (They rented the church in the Portiuncula from a local abbot.) They could not store up food. They couldn’t soak vegetables overnight. What would a radical rededication to Christ look like in your life today?
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 22:01:13 +0000
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