Today is the traditional day of blessing the animals, Saint Francis’ Day.
I think it’s appropriate to consider Francis’ life and what he means in the world. He is the most universally beloved of the Christian saints, revered both within and outside the Christian world.
Francis lived during the Crusades. He was appalled at the senseless violence and plundering, religious hatred, political opportunism associated with those campaigns.
He travelled to Egypt to seek out the top Muslim cleric there in hopes that the two of them together might be able to mobilize some influence for peace.
Francis didn’t know if he would be killed on the spot upon presenting himself to the Islamic people, but he went nonetheless.
In fact, he was welcomed warmly and spent a long time with the top cleric. He found that the two of them agreed more than they disagreed, and they had much in common despite their different traditions. They felt as brothers in spirit and not adversaries at all.
They were both deeply sorrowed by the conflict, but regrettably, the Muslim religious leader felt as helpless to stop it as Francis himself.
Francis returned to Italy and, based on the Muslim practice with which he was much impressed, instituted a tradition in Catholic prayer, the Angelus bell, which rings five times a day to remind the faithful to pray.
We have far more in common with mainstream Islam than our soundbyte simplistic media and us versus them political culture allows most of its participants to readily see. The Muslims I’ve met, mostly in healthcare settings, have been some of the most compassionate, gentle, open hearted people I’ve encountered anywhere.
Tragically, the Islamic faith has been taken hostage by a minority of its adherents, who have been seduced by teachings of anti-Western and anti-Christian hatred whose systematic spread has been facilitated by repressive regimes, particularly the Saudis, who have used hatred of the West to redirect the frustration and anger of the populace it has repressed.
My prayer on this day, if I may offer it, is that the wisdom of Francis, to see and honor those qualities that connect our various traditions and to look for ways to reestablish the unity of humankind, may awaken and reawaken in hearts and minds on both sides of the turmoil. If this does not happen, the bloodshed will never end, and the bloodshed must end.
Best wishes,
Jerry
