Wisdom Satu: Saint of the Day - A Feast of St. Francis Message from Fr. Dan

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Saint of the Day - A Feast of St. Francis Message from Fr. Dan

A Feast of St. Francis Message from Fr. Dan

You've heard about St. Francis of Assisi. He rejected all the notions that we today would call The American Dream: He wore ragged, dirty clothing; he associated with poor street people and lepers; he publicly gave away his personal wealth. And people just couldn't figure him out. Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, in Francis: The Journey and The Dream, says: "He was shabby and unkempt and the crowds hissed and mocked that the son of the richest man in town should go begging for stones to repair churches." G.K. Chesterton wrote: "In appearance he must have been like a thin brown skeleton autumn leaf dancing eternally before the wind; but in truth it was he that was the wind."

In a new book, St. Francis: A Short Biography, author Kathleen M. Carroll says: "It was this continual joy at the newness of life, at the fresh beginning each moment brings, that saw Francis through to the end of his life…"

Each day we can learn from St. Francis' humility and absolute devotion to the Gospel. And it's his spirit that inspires our company.

Have we at Franciscan Media inspired you to learn more about St. Francis or touched your life in any way? Perhaps through our brand-new digital magazine Liberty + Vine, our award-winning St. Anthony Messenger magazine, or through multimedia outlets such as AmericanCatholic.org and American Catholic Radio? If so, please consider making a gift of $50, $75, or $100. Your tax-deductible donation in any amount helps us pay the costs of all of our publishing outreaches, including this e-newsletter.

Use our secure online donation form or mail a donation payable to the Franciscans, Franciscan Media, 28 W. Liberty St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. If you prefer, you may phone in a credit-card donation for our evangelization ministries at 513-241-5615 or, in the U.S., 800-488-0488.

Peace and every blessing,
Fr. Dan Kroger, O.F.M.
Publisher and CEO, Franciscan Media
(formerly St. Anthony Messenger Press)