Oct. 4, 2018: St. Francis of Assisi
Oct. 4, 2018: St. Francis of Assisi
FRANCIS’ MYSTICAL MARRIAGE
By Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM “FRANCIS: The Journey and the Dream”
To speak of love had never been difficult for Francis until Christ stole his heart. Then there was something so sacred about their relationship that all love became love caught up in Jesus.
When he heard the Gospel read at Mass, it was Jesus speaking directly to him, and every word was a love-word. He swallowed each word and assimilated it into his whole being. He wanted to become one with the Word, to make literally his own the Word of God. This Word of God was its own message, because Jesus was the Word and by becoming a man he had put flesh onto His own message of love. He was the Word. So when Francis heard the Gospels read aloud, it was as if Jesus Himself were entering his ears and filling his whole self with His presence. And the word he listened to took on flesh in Francis himself.
The demands of Jesus were hard, but to Francis they were love-requests and the harder they seemed, the more elated he was that Jesus should ask him. It was a privilege far surpassing any gift that earthly lovers gave one another. And Francis basked in the sunlight and pleasure of Jesus’ company. Had the Lord asked nothing of him, he would have felt small and neglected like a knight who is not trusted with great feats but must be satisfied with helping orphans and widows while the great knights were away fighting huge battles to secure good in the land.
He knew Jesus loved him because He made such terrible demands of him, the most difficult of which were the invitations all through the Gospels to leave everyone and everything for His sake. But the more Francis renounced, the more he possessed, pressed down and flowing over. It seemed that Jesus wanted Francis to give up everything so that He could have the joy of returning it as a gift to Francis. That way Jesus could keep handing back what Francis had first given Him, and there would be an eternal effort to outdo one another in selflessness. They understood each other and were becoming one flesh in a manner that man and woman could never duplicate. And that was love as Francis had hoped it would be. So celibacy for Francis was not something sterile and barren, and he never thought of celibacy anyway, but of virginity, which was more positive and implied something you chose for the Kingdom rather than something you endured because of your role in the church. Virginity brought fullness to Francis because, in renouncing marriage, he did not shrink as a person but grew in his capacity to love more and more people. He moved in a world much larger than the family.
Besides, his identification with Jesus was so absolute and literal that he could never be anything other than a virgin like Christ. Francis thought that Jesus’ own virginity made possible His total love for him, and vice versa. And the paradox in Francis’ life was that his exclusive love for Jesus was at the same time inclusive of all humanity. Again what he had renounced had come rushing down in waterfalls of new capacities for love and giving. And the pool of self was constantly refilled with the fresh and clean water of love that flowed out of Francis in countless streams of attention, affection, and service of others. The living waters of Jesus had become his own, and he thereby became a reservoir of unselfish love for all creatures.
FRANCIS’ MYSTICAL MARRIAGE
By Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM “FRANCIS: The Journey and the Dream”
To speak of love had never been difficult for Francis until Christ stole his heart. Then there was something so sacred about their relationship that all love became love caught up in Jesus.
When he heard the Gospel read at Mass, it was Jesus speaking directly to him, and every word was a love-word. He swallowed each word and assimilated it into his whole being. He wanted to become one with the Word, to make literally his own the Word of God. This Word of God was its own message, because Jesus was the Word and by becoming a man he had put flesh onto His own message of love. He was the Word. So when Francis heard the Gospels read aloud, it was as if Jesus Himself were entering his ears and filling his whole self with His presence. And the word he listened to took on flesh in Francis himself.
The demands of Jesus were hard, but to Francis they were love-requests and the harder they seemed, the more elated he was that Jesus should ask him. It was a privilege far surpassing any gift that earthly lovers gave one another. And Francis basked in the sunlight and pleasure of Jesus’ company. Had the Lord asked nothing of him, he would have felt small and neglected like a knight who is not trusted with great feats but must be satisfied with helping orphans and widows while the great knights were away fighting huge battles to secure good in the land.
He knew Jesus loved him because He made such terrible demands of him, the most difficult of which were the invitations all through the Gospels to leave everyone and everything for His sake. But the more Francis renounced, the more he possessed, pressed down and flowing over. It seemed that Jesus wanted Francis to give up everything so that He could have the joy of returning it as a gift to Francis. That way Jesus could keep handing back what Francis had first given Him, and there would be an eternal effort to outdo one another in selflessness. They understood each other and were becoming one flesh in a manner that man and woman could never duplicate. And that was love as Francis had hoped it would be. So celibacy for Francis was not something sterile and barren, and he never thought of celibacy anyway, but of virginity, which was more positive and implied something you chose for the Kingdom rather than something you endured because of your role in the church. Virginity brought fullness to Francis because, in renouncing marriage, he did not shrink as a person but grew in his capacity to love more and more people. He moved in a world much larger than the family.
Besides, his identification with Jesus was so absolute and literal that he could never be anything other than a virgin like Christ. Francis thought that Jesus’ own virginity made possible His total love for him, and vice versa. And the paradox in Francis’ life was that his exclusive love for Jesus was at the same time inclusive of all humanity. Again what he had renounced had come rushing down in waterfalls of new capacities for love and giving. And the pool of self was constantly refilled with the fresh and clean water of love that flowed out of Francis in countless streams of attention, affection, and service of others. The living waters of Jesus had become his own, and he thereby became a reservoir of unselfish love for all creatures.
