Sermons

Free St. Francis From His Birdbath Prison

When I was a teenager, I lived on a street in Norman, Oklahoma where all the houses, basically looked alike. I always knew which house was mine because it was the one past the house that had a mailbox shaped like a barn. But another distinguishing feature of our house is that we had a 3-foot statue of St. Francis in the front flower bed. One day, on a whim, my parents decided to move Francis to the backyard under an oak tree, where more creatures would come to visit him. I thought this would have no impact on my life. But something strange happened. I started getting calls from friends who were supposed to pick me up asking, “Okay, now what’s your house number again?” Turns out, no one had any idea where I lived without the statue out front! But I can report that the Francis statue had a great life in the backyard.

Outside of Jesus and the Holy Family, Saint Francis may be the most depicted saint in our culture. He’s often found in gardens and the woods, posed with birds or another tame animal. He has the telltale haircut, which I learned is called a tonsure, from the Latin word for shearing; shaved on top with hair on the sides. And he’s wearing a brown, flowing robe. We celebrate his feast by blessing the creatures that we love the most. He is, for all intents and purposes, the birdbath saint. 

But the thing is that the man born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone in the year 1181, later called Francis, was anything but tame. He was anything but agreeable. Today I want to speak to five virtues of the man Brother Francis: humility, hospitality, harmony, poverty, and foolishness. To help me do so, I’m going to read excerpts from a children’s book, Brother Francis of Assisi by Tomie de Paola. Although its audience is children, it does not sand off the more challenging edges of the saint. Then I want to offer a question about each virtue for your own pondering or discussion (at sermon seminar/coffee hour).

First: HUMILITY 

In this first vignette, Francis stands before the bishop, accused by his father of taking his money and giving it to the poor. 

(Read Brother Francis of Assisi p12)

I chose the story of Francis renouncing the life of his wealthy merchant family to illustrate his humility. Here we first see Francis turning away from comfort, power, and wealth, for a life of utter humility. His chosen way of life was so inspiring, that by the time Francis died at the age of 44, more than five thousand people had joined Francis in what became the Franciscan religious order. But, despite the significant power he could command and the influence he had in the church, he constantly refused power. He was deliberately unkempt and often slept outdoors, living a life not unlike John the Baptist twelve hundred years before him. He signed his letters, “I, Brother Francis, your little servant.” In one of his most stunning acts of humility, he turned over management of the Franciscan Order to another friar five years before his death. 

Question: Is humility still a Christian virtue worth pursuing?

Second: HOSPITALITY

(Read Brother Francis of Assisi p30)

This fantastical story illustrates Francis’s commitment to love all who crossed his path, even those who may be a threat. One interpretation is that the Wolf of Gubbio was in fact a man who was terrorizing the town. The act of tenderness and care that Francis shows the wolf (or man) allows it to be brought into the community, rather than cast out. Food and connection are such fundamental needs. In his compassion and generosity, Francis allows for this lone wolf to rejoin the pack.

Question: Who are your wolves and have you offered them food?

Third: HARMONY 

(Read Brother Francis of Assisi p28)

Here we come to the reason we are blessing animals today: Francis lived in harmony with all living creatures. He believed the sun was his brother and the moon his sister. He saw every blade of grass as testifying to the glory of God. I think that’s why the Job reading is selected for today because it so carefully depicts the lives of animals. Perhaps contrary to what you might expect, Francis did not allow those in his order to keep pets or even to ride horses, unless very ill. But today we honor his legacy of living so closely to other creatures by blessing those animals whom we love the most.

Question: How do we care for, not just the animals in our homes, but the soil, water, plants, and creatures that make up our entire ecosystem?

Fourth: POVERTY 

(Read Brother Francis of Assisi 16)

After everything we’ve heard, Francis’s message about poverty is probably the hardest of all to hear. In the wake of Francis’s death, there were rifts even in the Franciscan community about whether poverty was a valid tenant of the order. Some brothers wanted to become more established with greater structures and the wealth needed to sustain them. 

Question: Where can we, like Francis, find greater joy by giving more away?

Fifth: FOOLISHNESS

(Read Brother Francis of Assisi p14)

Brother Francis lived a rough life, with very little to shield him from the elements. But in doing so, he did not find hardship but rather joy. He embodies the archetype of the Holy Fool. In the Gospel today, we hear that the wise are not necessarily those with true wisdom. Indeed, it can be the overlooked beggar who has the wisdom we seek. 

Question: Are you willing to act foolishly for God?

My friends, St. Francis has been imprisoned in bird bath statues. It is time to release him. Only then can we hear his radical message of humility, hospitality, harmony, poverty, and foolishness.