While this is coming in a bit late, I still wanted to get something up for my Friday’s With Francis post. I have some interesting stuff scheduled for this weekly post, but with fighting bronchitis and the other effects of burn out, I just haven’t had the energy to get them into good enough shape. Sorry for the hold up, but I am sure you all understand.
In the mean time, the following are quotes attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Note, however, that as with many hagiographic records from his era, we cannot always be sure that everything attributed to him was actually said by him. However, these quotes all represent saying that stand up against the nature of his character. After each quote, I share a brief thought on it. I’d love to hear yours:
“If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.”
Sometimes St. Francis can be dismissed as a lovable eccentric who preached to birds, but his love for Creation extended beyond some romantic and naive notion. Rather, he saw the deep truth that our relationship to Creation is essential to our very nature as created beings in God’s image. Francis’ passionate commitment to the centrality of the Eucharist could not be separated from earth which produced the bread and wine or the God who created them. Francis needs to be considered in greater depth in respect to a truly Christian engagement of ecological issues.
“It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.”
This quote is most likely what inspired the most commonly (though inaccurately) attributed quote to St. Francis: “Preach the Gospel at all time. If necessary, use words”. The fact is that Francis and the Franciscan deeply believed in verbal proclamation and preaching. In fact, it was one of their most distiguishing characteristics. While the spirit of the misattributed quote is consistent with Francis, I doubt he would have made that much of a distinction. Neither do I.
“What we are looking for is what is looking.”
Perhaps the most profound quote, St. Francis manages to bring me to my knees in humility with this one. It was this realization that changed my understanding of theology forever. So shaped by the scientific method, I approached theology like any other formal observance in the search for understanding. While this has been helpful, it failed to dawn on me that God is not a specimen to be examined, but rather He is the ultimate observer. It is all of us who are watched and changed by the watching, not the other way around. And yet His love transforms us far above being mere mice in mazes, even when we treat Him as little more than the same.
“True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.”
While this quote has wide implications for societal progress, I think it speaks very powerfully to individual Christians and the larger Church. I wonder if, in our passion and excitement to see the Church grow, if we do not fall into the trap of self-importance. Our successes and others failures should never be fodder for position or influence, as Christ modelled a decidedly downward mobility. Just a thought.
“Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and an be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face.”
The first part of this quote touches me very personally right now. In the midst of my burn out, my fear of letting people down is matched only by the fear of being alone through the process. I don’t want to in any way diminish my appreciation for those who are praying for us, but it is when people move next to us in real loving support that I am moved. It reminds me how far I have yet to go in truly loving those in my life.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
Hope. Oh how I need this hope.
Missional St. Francis Quotes
