October 4, 2004 7:00 PM
The Patron Saint of Playful Spiritual Affection and Passionate Social Action: St. Francis
Could there be anything new to learn about this gentle giant of myth and legend, about whom it is said more has been written than Jesus? Count on fresh insight from articulate, light-hearted Jon Sweeney, who has updated and amplified Paul Sabatier’s groundbreaking French biography of Saint Francis.
The popular prayer “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace,” Sweeney teaches, is about St. Francis but is not one of the many prayers written by him. His mystical devotion to the natural world was legendary, yet St. Francis was also a passionate reformer who began his religious life ministering to lepers.
“He didn’t just wander around in the woods but got in the middle of human conflict, mediated differences and reconciled people,” says Sweeney.
Sweeney gave a feel for what the future would look like if more of us practiced what St. Francis preached. He spoke about the care this saint, who sang hymns to “Brother Sun” and “Sister Water,” had for creation, especially animals. The evening included a brief time for contemplative reflection, then concluded with a second lecture on other aspects of the life of St. Francis.