Mark here. In Assisi, San. Damiano church (where the cross spoke to Francis) has a charming sculpture of Francis conversing with a rabbit. Annie does her version of the exchange below, using a local skink (a lizard.) Assisi is beautiful, restful, and the perfect place to start a long trip. The Franciscan sisters, whose guesthouse we stayed in were warm and hospitable. The roads were wonderfully higgledy-piggledy. There were flowers and old stones, and wheat fields as far as you can see--which is far. And the actual robe of Francis, all patched and raggedy. He's the most moving saint for me. I love his embrace of the poor, of outcasts, of the infirm.
As he did to the princes of the church in his day, he has a lot to say to over-stuffed self-satisfied Americans, inclined to the Prosperity Gospel. He's our modern eco-saint, seeing himself as part of creation, not separate from him. And although a fanatic for sure, his fanaticism didn't lead to anyone getting burned. Instead of coercing others to follow his vision, he drew them to it by his joyful spirit. And his poetry is still deeply moving.
1 comment:
amen! love these thoughts on Francis...and the skink picture is cute too :)
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