May 10, 2020

We often associate St. Francis of Assisi with birds. There are 13th-century stories of Francis preaching to birds in trees. A famous painting by Giotto portrays Francis humbly admiring birds on the ground, his hand raised in blessing.

I realize at this point that, for me to have a joyful, peaceful, vibrant relationship with the God of my understanding, I must also embrace the rage. Not just annoyance, but rage!

For Francis of Assisi, it is the love of God, the self-offering and surrender of control that comes with the Incarnation that is at the heart of what it means to talk about the suffering of Jesus on the cross. This sense of giving up control is seen in the way scholar Zachary Hayes describes the place of the cross in the spiritual world-views of Francis and Bonaventure.

Some women seem to have a monopoly on the New Testament press. We hear a lot about the Marys, for example—Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, the sister of Martha. We know about Elizabeth and Anna.

The peace that Francis showed with birds, wolves, lambs, larks, and worms reminded his contemporaries that Adam and Eve lived in total harmony with all creatures before they were sent from the Garden of Eden.

Devotion to the heart pierced on Calvary is nearly as old as Christianity, but it has undergone many changes over the centuries.