Wednesday, October 3, 2018

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 04-10-18

Job 19:21-27 / Luke 10:1-12

The hymn "Make me a channel of your peace" is a popular hymn. It is also called "The Prayer of St. Francis", because the words are attributed to St. Francis of Assisi whose feast day we celebrate today.

There are many inspiring stories of St. Francis of Assisi, but there is one rather amazing story of St. Francis and the wolf.

The Wolf of Gubbio, as it was called, was a large wolf that terrorized the city of Gubbio,  devouring livestock and then attacking and devouring human beings, until it was tamed by St. Francis, acting on behalf of God.

When St. Francis and the wolf went back to the city, the townsfolk gathered in the city marketplace and were shocked to see the ferocious wolf behaving as though his pet. When St. Francis reached the marketplace, he offered the assembled crowd an impromptu sermon with the tame wolf at his feet. He is quoted as saying: "How much we ought to dread the jaws of hell, if the jaws of so small an animal as a wolf can make a whole city tremble through fear?"

St. Francis brought about reconciliation between the townsfolk and the wolf and brought about peace.

In the gospel, Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them out like lambs among wolves, but it was to bring the message of peace and to bring about reconciliation.

May we remember that our mission is to proclaim the message of peace and to bring about reconciliation, and may St. Francis of Assisi pray for us.