Happy Feast of St Francis!!

The above picture was sent to me by a friend, a Franciscan Sister I have known since @1985 when she served as Director of Vocations (or Vicar for Religious) for the Diocese of Oakland. She sent it in celebration of today's Feast of St Francis of Assisi. I think it is truly wonderful and hope you also enjoy it.

Recently I have been reading about St Francis' spirituality and theology. There is a fine series on the Franciscan Heritage available on a number of diverse aspects of Francis' theology and, in case you have not read it, I highly recommend Sister Illia Delio's, The Humility of God. It is theology that is tremendously exciting and very readable too. There are also a number of fine books out by and about Francis, the new Bishop of Rome. One of these is Untying the Knots. Another is a book of homilies and addresses by Francis from before his election to the papacy entitled Encountering Christ.  

In the meantime, all good wishes for a wonderful feast of St Francis. I think we can all agree that in the first months of this new papacy the significance of St Francis for the Church has been renewed for us all, Franciscans and non-Franciscans alike. Let his compassion, joy, and poverty guide us as we allow ourselves to be remade and we reform the Church in the image of the risen Christ Crucified.