In today’s Gospel Jesus extends an invitation to each one of us: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of our parish. Francis also heard this invitation from Jesus although it took him some time to discern his call. In this Testament he describes his invitation as an encounter with a leper:
“The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body. And afterwards I delayed a little and left the world.”
Francis’ describes his “burden” as seeing a leper. He was disgusted at the sight and smell of a leper with its bandages and exposed sores. He saw the leper only through his human eyes and as the world saw the leper. In the Gospel Jesus invites Francis and each one of us: “Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me…for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” When the Lord led Francis to another encounter with a leper, he took on Jesus’ yoke and saw the leper as God sees a leper; he saw the image and likeness of God: “…what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body.”
Francis describes this as his conversion experience: “afterwards I delayed a little and left the world.” Now Francis was in the world but not of the world. He saw human beings and all of creation not as the world sees but as God sees. He wanted to share this vision with all of creation and he preached the Gospel to all creation both to humans and even to the birds of the sky. He saw the goodness of all creation and gave praise to God through “Brother Sun and Sister Moon.”
Today as we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, we are also invited to come to accept Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me.” Jesus teaches us and shows us how to see creation, one another, and our very self. May Saint Francis continue to guide and inspire our parish. Happy Feast Day.
Image: Saint Francis Parish-Public.