October's Other Famous Italian

Getting lots of play in this era of new age spirituality is an Italian guy! I'm generally in favor of that, especially when its not someone whose present day leanings make my heritage cringe - like Justice Antonin Scalia.

The swarthy brother to whom I'm referring has a more checkered past. No, it's not Christopher Columbus. This brother lived over 800 years ago, and his claim to fame was - at first - his misunderstanding God's word to him. Something I can definitely relate to.

Francis of Assisi - when you're really famous your last name doesn't matter - moves from backyard gardens and fish ponds each October when scores of area churches host occasions to bless pets. That's not a bad strategy for outreach, but it doesn't do much for my idea of communal prayer.

I do wonder what might happen if a gathering of God's faithful were to use such an occasion to unpack one of Francis' most famous sermons. Legend says Francis one spoke this: Preach the Gospel always. When necessary, use words.

When Francis finally got his ears and heart in the .same place, he understood that when God said, "Rebuild my church," God meant much more than the repair of a particular building. Moved by that great grace, Francis took to radically reforming what it meant to be a follower of Jesus, rather than a follower of church rules.

Francis not only gave his possessions away, he gave his ambition, his agenda, and his heart, mind and soul to join God's purpose to create, to save, and to bless ALL creatures of our God and King. Francis was a friend of animals because he was a friend of God. And as God's friend, Francis saw and joined God's desire to continue extending unfettered relationship and belonging to everyone he met.

Francis didn't just pray, "Lord make me an instrument of your peace," he talked and walked into that generous, privileged place every day.

Francis didn't just pray, "It's in dying that we're born to eternal life," he moved through death's threshold, boldly leaning into Jesus' promise from morning until night, day by day. Now that's an October surprise to live by!