This is what I want, this is what I desire, this is what I long for with all
my
heart”
Francis
of Assisi
Yesterday was the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.
Last year at this time, I was in Sewanee, Tennessee, serving at another
St. James, a small parish on the Cumberland Plateau. For St. Francis Day,
we celebrated the Blessing of the Animals. Along with numerous dogs and
cats which parishioners brought to be blessed (including our psycho-kitty,
Muzzy) we were amazed to find four horses, including two Percherons, awaiting us
on the grounds. It was a fun day, as we participated in Francis’ desire to
see that all of Creation joined in the praise of
God.
This newsletter is dedicated to St. Francis. Along with some
information about this “well known” saint, I am including a service from the
Office of The Passion, which was Francis’ greatest work. I hope it
will be a blessing to you, as you enter into worship with Francis this day.
Francis was born in 1182, the son
of a prosperous cloth merchant. After a rather fruitless early life which
included working in his father’s cloth business, Francis tried to become a
knight, and was captured and imprisoned. When he was released from prison, he
was a very sick young man, and it seemed to him as though the whole world had
changed. A process of conversion began, in which Francis renounced the
life of luxury which his family lived, and took on “Lady Poverty.” It is
said that he found Christ when he, in an act of compassion, kissed a leper.
Not long after this, he received a word from God, saying “Repair my
Church.” Francis did so both literally and figuratively – he rebuilt a
small chapel outside Assisi, and he began a process of reform in the church
through the establishment of the Friars Minor, the Franciscan order who took
upon themselves the vow of complete poverty, begging for food and preaching the
gospel wherever they went.
The Office of the Passion is often called “The
Geste of the Great King.” A geste was a medieval ballad that extolled the
valor and great deeds of the hero. In the Office of the Passion, the Great
King which Francis extols as Hero is Jesus.
Francis’ desire was
to live as Christ lived – walking each day in love with God and creation,
including his fellow humans. Francis’ life was characterized by extreme
poverty, extreme abasement, and extreme praise, and extreme love.
Francis was a man possessed by the Spirit of God, giving all he had,
and all he was in an amazing joyful abandonment.
Francis wrote very few works, but his most
important work is the Office of the Passion, a set of prayers based on the
psalms which the order prayed together daily.
The prayer attributed to St. Francis, “Lord,
make me an instrument of thy peace...” never occurs in his writings. It
was most likely written by a later Franciscan, and attributed to his holy
father, Francis.
The components of the geste
include:
The hero of whom the geste
sings;
the mission with which the hero is
entrusted
Francis’ geste is to be read
as a transcription of the “Glorious Passion of our Lord Jesus
Christ.”
the enemies the hero has to
confront
the hero’s victory.
Enter into the
Geste....
Our Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom
come
Thy will be done on earth
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our
daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass
against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from
evil....
Glory to the Father, and to the Son
And to the Holy
Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And will be forever,
AMEN.
PRAISES TO BE SAID AT ALL THE
HOURS
Almighty, most holy,
Most high and supreme God,
All
good,
Supreme good,
Totally good,
You Who alone are good,
May we
give back to You,
All praise,
All glory,
All grace,
All honor,
All blessing,
And all good.
So be it.
So be
it.
AMEN
ANTIPHON
Holy Virgin Mary,
There is
no one like you born in the
world
among women,,
Daughter and Handmaid of the most high,
sovereign King, the heavenly
Father,
Mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for
us
with St. Michael the
archangel
and with all the powers of
heaven
and with all the
saints
together with your most holy beloved Son,
Lord and
Teacher.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
As it was
in the beginning is now and will be forever. AMEN
PSALM (Francis
addresses the people)
DEBRA’S MIDWEEK MEDITATION
Praise!
"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things. "
From Phil 4:1-9
Paul is proscribing a recipe for joy in this part of Philippians.
If
we lay aside our worries and focus our energies on Thanksgiving and prayer; we
will experience the joy that comes from God. This joy is not reliant on
circumstances or moods. This is the joy that hums within our hearts
reminding us that we belong to God and all else is
secondary.
Of course, many of us may feel that this is a high ideal and doesn't have
much to do with the practical realities of the modern world and the lives we are
now living.
We have a lot to worry about.
War and disease, corruption in civic
life and natural disasters.
How can we simply lay aside these situations
which are happening every day?
The answer is in Paul's instructions to the Philippians:
Replace
anxiety with prayer and supplication and thanksgiving.
When thoughts of
trouble come, think of the things that are honorable and commendable-out of
these grow your thanksgiving.
When your thanksgiving is allowed to grow-your
prayer is free to praise God.
It is within the freedom of prayer that we begin to see the proper
perspective of things. We are called to participate in God's plan, but we
are not in charge.
We are called to pray for God's people, but we are not
responsible for the outcome.
Because God loves us, we are called to love
ourselves and care for ourselves.
Anxiety is not a caregiver for the human
heart.
Pray and Give Thanks this week as you begin your prayer, then let God
decide what your actions should be.
Blessings,
Debra
This week at St.
James
Wednesday: Bishop Rabb
visits the academy
Sunday: 9:00 youth
Liturgy
10:15
SJY (high School Youth) breakfast, Activity
Rooms
10:15
Altar Guild
Meeting
11:30
Sunday School Teacher’s
Meeting
11:45
Confirmation meets at Immanuel, Glencoe
Tuesday: 7:30
Vestry
PRAYERS ETC.
Those in need of healing and
their families:
Chloe Sean N.
Lelia G.
David W.
Ellie
Charlie M.
Joan B.
Phil O.
Barbara Debbie
Jack H.
Ginny C.
Charles
Joel B.
Sarah J. Matty
Nancy G.
Anna B. Belinda
Toni G.
Heather, JB, Chase and Sandy
Lee U.
Maryann
S.
Also remember to pray regularly for our seminarian, Laura Brecht, and
her husband, Lyle.
In Closing
Let every creature
St.
Francis
In heaven, on earth, in the sea, and in the
depths
Give praise, glory, honor, and blessing
To Him
Who suffered so
much for us
Who has given so many good things,
And Who will continue to
do so for the future
For He is our power and strength
Who alone is
good
Who is most high,
Who is all-powerful, admirable, and
glorious;
Who alone is holy, praiseworthy, and blessed
Throughout endless
ages.
AMEN
Pax et Bonum,
Loree+
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