A New Look at St. Francis
Written by Susan Severson
As a child, I had dreams of being a saint like Joan, Sebastian, Agnes, and Philomena—a saint called to great and visible deeds of heroism. St. Francis is a mainstay in any respectable Catholic’s upbringing, but, to a young me, he was rather boring compared to a girl warrior being burned at the stake. Thankfully, by the grace of God and Elizabeth Goudge, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit dusty predilections.
Elizabeth Goudge’s work, My God and My All: The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, has been a blessing! Her deep academic study of St. Francis’s life, told as a narrative, has given me a new lens through which to perceive the man. Her steady, thorough prose gives the opportunity to settle into Francis’ world. She eloquently paints a picture of his youth and the pleasures that he sought, his true and earnest wrestling with his weaknesses, and, above all, his deep yearning for communion with Christ.
I was especially touched by his dealing with people plagued by leprosy. His initial disgust gave way little by little until he was eating from the same bloody bowl as the infected. I was grateful to Goudge for illuminating that this progression wasn’t easy for him. He had to beg God for the compassion to embrace these stricken people.
It was providential that the very day I read the passage about Francis kissing the wounds and sharing the food of the leper, three of my five children came down with a wicked stomach bug. Without going into all of the gory details, I’ll just say that I had a moment where I beheld my little two-year-old son in a completely new way. He stood before me, his tiny head bowed and his shoulders slumped, the contents of his diaper everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean it. To be honest, my immediate reaction was to gag and recoil. The smell was absolutely stunning. It was all over his bed, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals… I didn’t know what to do nor where to begin.
I had the grace in that moment to realize that I was looking at my son like a problem to be solved and not as a person to love. I got down on my knees and gently cleaned his little body with an awareness of Christ’s presence. I had a momentary vision of Francis kneeling before the leper, kissing the seeping wounds with a similar tenderness. Suddenly, it became clear. I could emulate a great saint, simply by paying attention to what was being asked of me and then responding with charity.
Reading about St. Francis has stirred a new vigor in me that has been periodically dormant since childhood. While his story is very different from that of Joan and Sebastian—his ferocity of spirit is not different at all. I, too, want to bleed with compassion and love for each person that crosses my path. I want to lay down all distractions that keep me from immersing myself in gratitude for what has been given. I can learn dependence from the dependence of my own children (my very own Lady Poverty!). It is certainly a quieter, more hidden work, this work of motherhood, but it is the path that has been chosen for me—and now I have a newfound companion to intercede for me along the way.
About Susan Severson
Susan Severson is a wannabe saint, a homeschool slogger, a sometimes-but-wants-to-be-all-the-time writer, and a mother to five little rapscallions. Prayers are welcome. She resides in Crosby, MN.
About Well-Read Mom
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