Sermon for 8 Oct 2025 Observing Francistide

Proper 22 WEDNESDAY, 8 October 2025

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

Observing St Francis of Assisi

Collect: Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may, for love of you, delight in your whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,* that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.’ 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ* to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Matthew 8:18-27

18 Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19A scribe then approached and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ 20And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 21Another of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 22But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ 26And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’

I love St Francis. Joe+ encouraged me to observe Francistide which was last Saturday today when we spoke. I jumped at the chance. I am a member of the Third Order Society of St Francis, tssf, not because I love Francis, but how he encouraged us through his words and through his life to LOVE JESUS. Jesus was the singular purpose and focus of Francis’ life.

Last Saturday was the 799th Anniversary of the Transitus, or transitioning of Francis to what is to come. I look forward to the 800th Anniversary next Oct 4.

While Francis is often at or near the top of the list when it comes to saints, so few know much about his life.

He was born wealthy, and was popular and attractive. He was the son of a silk merchant, and his father named him Francis for his love of France from his buying trips he went on. After an attempt to be a knight and troubadour, he had a profound religious experience and denounced his father’s wealth and walked away from his life of privilege to embrace Lady Poverty as he called it.

When I mention St Francis, what comes to mind? [Wait for responses]

His attire, a simple brown robe with a hood was the current equivalent of a pair of jeans and a hoodie. A working man’s costume. And the robe that the church holds that was supposedly his is covered with patches and stains.

He so desired to embrace his following of Christ that supposedly late in his life he received the gift of the stigmata, the physical wounds of Christ on the Cross, holes in his hands, his feet, and his side. Only his closest confidantes knew this. In his icons this is shown now.

In his final years he wrote his most famous prayer or poem in praise of God and it proclaims the universe as beautiful and loving, so different from the imagery so often portrayed in his time, or ours. I close today with Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures, or the Canticle of Brother Sun & Sister Moon.

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord, All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun,

Who is the day through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,

Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,

And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,

by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,

So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,

Mother Earth

who sustains and governs us,

producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace, 

By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,

from whom no-one living can escape. 

Woe to those who die in mortal sin! 

Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm. 

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.