When he came one day to a city called Alviano to preach the word of God, he went up to a higher place [Judges 13:16] so that he could be seen by all and he began to ask for silence. But when all the people had fallen silent and were standing reverently at attention, a flock of swallows, chattering and making a loud noise, were building nests in that same place. Since the blessed Francis could not be heard by the people over the chattering of the birds, he spoke to them saying: “My sisters, swallows, it is now time for me to speak, for you have already spoken enough. Listen to the word of the Lord and be silent and quiet until the word of the Lord is finished.” And those little birds, to the astonishment and wonder of the people standing by, immediately fell silent, and they did not move from that place until the sermon was finished. When these men therefore saw this miracle, they were filled with the greatest admiration and said: “Truly this man is a saint and a friend of the Most High.” And they hastened with the greatest devotion to at least touch his clothing, praising and blessing God [Luke 24:53]. (Celano, First Life of St. Francis, 59)
Francis treated animals kindly because they pointed toward God. Do you allow the animal stories about Francis to point you toward God?
—from the book Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi
by Pat McCloskey, OFM
