{"id":6663,"date":"2016-10-04T08:37:09","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T13:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=6663"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:44:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:44:55","slug":"god-make-us-poor-and-nonviolent-like-st-francis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2016\/10\/04\/god-make-us-poor-and-nonviolent-like-st-francis\/","title":{"rendered":"God make us poor and nonviolent like St. Francis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy St. Francis Day!<\/p>\n

In light of all that is making humanity hurt far and near—the evils of greed, economic inequalities, environmental destruction, endless war and gun-violence—on this ordinary and holy day, I find that my heart desires to emulate two particular aspects of St. Francis’ prophetic life from 800 years ago.<\/p>\n

I am praying for all of us, for our broken and hurting hearts, that we can respond to the invitation Christ made to Francis to “rebuild my Church.” May we all contribute to the reconstruction of God’s reign of peace, justice and mercy. May we all be renewed and converted more closely to Christ, to the people Christ is calling us to be in today’s world.<\/p>\n

First, we pray …<\/strong><\/p>\n

that we can counteract greed, materialism, pride and arrogance by totally embracing poverty, just as St. Francis did. The worst consequence of us taking more than we need is the infliction of suffering upon others; stripping them of\u00a0food and shelter and other basics. Plus, our consumption and waste harm\u00a0sacred Earth, causing climate change and consequential disasters; more suffering inflicted upon the little ones.<\/p>\n

St. Francis\u2019 experience also showed him that\u00a0greed and materialism create division, cause wounds. A member of the emerging merchant class in the middle ages, his life could have been\u00a0comfortable and privileged if only he\u2019d joined the\u00a0family business and become a cloth merchant. Instead, his conversion directed him to become a beggar, living with and ministering to the lepers, the outcasts, the little ones. St. Francis, like Christ, stripped himself of his wealth and made himself poor, gaining freedom in his dependence upon God. His complete embrace of “Lady Poverty,”\u00a0as he came to so fondly call it, opened him to encountering Christ in the poorness found in others and in himself.<\/p>\n

\""St.<\/a>
St. Francis and The Leper at Rivo Torto, Assisi\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>by Julia Walsh, FSPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Audrey Assad’s lovely rendition of Psalm 23 “I Shall Not Want”<\/em> is a song worth praying with today. Let us pray that we can all be poor and humble like Christ, so as to\u00a0come to know the poor Christ in the truth of our poverty:<\/p>\n