By the Rev’d Lucy Nguyen
Season: St. Francis Day
Readings: Job 1:1; 2:1-10 | Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 | Mark 10:2-16
The first day of spring was September 23rd and while I am keen to mark the end of winter I must confess that I have yet to put away my flannel sheets and all my winter cardigans, Yes, some nights do find me tossing off a blanket and some days do see me simply draping my sweater on the back of the chair – but common sense and cold weather requires a nuanced sense of when to put the woollies truly at the back of the closet and that day is soon but not yet.
This preamble is apropos of noting that while today in the remembering of St Francis of Assisi we mark the end of our Sunday services shaped by the theme of Creation we do not discard our eco theology enter the season of Sundays before Advent.
Seasons give focus to learnings and understanding which are not to be put away like decorations or winter pj’s. Rather we take insights with us into the next season. So as the season of creation draws to end may we NOT mothball the call of creation, the moan of the earth, the clapping of trees or our place in creation as partner and caretaker.
On this Feast Day of St Francis let us draw deeply on the environmental spirituality, which is deeply associated with Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Francis considered everything in creation to represent God. He frequently referred to things of the natural world as his sisters or brothers. His understanding engages us in an all-encompassing approach towards the environment, thereby nurturing reverence and love for life.
in Francis’ famous “Canticle of the Sun, he praised God through Sister Moon, Brother Sun. This psalm sings of an inherent bond between human beings and nature, which is central to Environmental Spirituality. 1 Remembering Francis of Assisi in our service is an honouring of and invitation into care for creation by living eco-friendly and sustainable lives. 2
Our readings this morning present interesting perspectives in their original context, as well as what they bring into the context of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assis and our world today of environmental challenges.
Theologian Elizabeth Johnson regards the Book of Job as a vision that offers a strong antidote to the human arrogance that views the notion of humankind’s dominion over nature as domination. 1 Job provides a completely different framework that deserves attention in our time of ecological distress. In the book of Job, Job’s eyes are opened to see the action of Yahweh as something completely independent from him over which he has no mastery but can only respond with awe and humility. 1 And while admittedly today’s lectionary selection from Job is as one writer puts it is, “awkward and truncated” setting up rather than entering into the heart of the dramatic tension relating to the great mystery of suffering, and the even greater mystery of the relationship between human beings and the Creator of the universe it does draw into focus God’s presence in all things. 1 Perhaps a refresher for your home group would be a look at Job though the lens of environmental spiritualty.
Pairing Job and Francis, we acknowledge both were born into wealth. Francis later renounced material prosperity, choosing instead to live among the poor and serve God. Voluntary poverty, as embraced by Francis, parallels Job’s involuntary suffering, both demonstrating a rejection of worldly wealth in favour of deeper spiritual insight. Through their trials, both Job and Francis demonstrate unwavering faith in God. Their examples encourage us today to seek spiritual abundance through simplicity and endurance, teaching us that faith and mercy toward others should remain central, no matter what challenges we face in life. 2
The Letter to the Hebrews’ draws a parallel with Francis’ life from a different angle. The Letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish converts to Christianity who were facing persecution due to their lack of participation in the Jewish Temple system. This Letter encourages them to not return to the old Jewish Covenant but to put their faith in the New Covenant established by Jesus. 3
The verses we heard this morning speak of the superior nature of Jesus, who is described as the radiance of God’s glory and through whom the world was made. Jesus, though made lower than angels for a time, suffered and tasted death on behalf of humanity, bringing salvation and sanctifying others. And so again a point of similarity as St. Francis of Assisi’s life closely reflects these passages. Francis in humility and servant leadership echoes the themes of obedience and sacrifice seen in Christ.
Francis’ teachings, centred on living out the Gospel through love, poverty, and simplicity, mirror Christ’s humility and sacrificial love. Today, St. Francis’s example calls Christians to humble service, promoting peace, caring for creation, and living in alignment with Christ’s model. His life shows that following Christ involves not just belief but also transformative action in how we live, serve, and care for others. 2
You may be familiar with Third Order, Society of St Francis, a group in which several of our community are members. They are part of a worldwide religious order which has existed in the Anglican tradition since the days of St Francis and St Clare in 1221. The Order’s aim is to follow Jesus Christ in the footsteps of St Francis and St Clare sharing the joy of communion with God and creation and work for social justice.
The Third Order, Society of St Francis, Province of the Pacific consists of people, single or in committed relationships, who, though following ordinary professions, are called to a dedicated life of service to our Lord through prayer, study and work. They share Francis’ concerns for the well-being of the earth, the poor, and the marginalised. 5 This is the lens or perspective through which they view the world and their lives in it. And it is a perspective we add to our theological kite as we engage in the world.
How we view things impacts how we live and how we live makes a difference.
For that matter, if we weren’t viewing our morning Gospel reading through the lens of St Francis, we might not experience it as an enlivening and even encouraging text. Mark leads us to understand that the pharisees are testing Jesus by posing their tricky question on marriage. 6 Jesus, in that “Jesus’ gets to the heart of the matter way”, turns their conversation away from the legal foundation for divorce to God’s design for marriage. Jesus dismisses the law (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) as a concession to human weakness and offers a different perspective rooted in creation.
His albeit brief argument describes marriage as a strong and unifying bond between two people. It is because he sees marriage in such a way that he speaks against divorce as he does. And as scholars suggest, it is a way for Jesus to speak into his cultural context to ensure the protection and well-being of the vulnerable. 2 And, as I’m sure you realise, this is hardly the only place where Jesus says that “God’s design means to provide wholeness and protection for those who are vulnerable”. 2 This is a theme of the text.
Mark expands it by weaving in a story about Jesus’ blessing children. 2 Children, like women in the ancient world also had few rights and essentially no social status. The disciples’ we recall, attempt to obstruct the people who are bringing children to Jesus. This obstruction is the very opposite of what Jesus is trying to do and model. Jesus not only welcomes them, he blesses those children, not as one writer puts it “because they (the children) are sweet cherub of impeccable behaviour, but because he (Jesus) has concern for the vulnerable and scorned, for those easily exposed to exploitation. 2
Parallel to St. Francis’ love for all creatures of God, we have our Gospel reflection of Jesus’ acceptance of little children. Francis extended his compassion towards the vulnerable, like animals and marginalised people, just as Christ told his followers to accept the kingdom with child-like simplicity.
Mark reminds believers about honouring relationships among others through the conscious practice of divine precepts while embracing humility and simplicity in their daily lives. Francis’ life exemplifies the selfless love and service that Jesus emphasized in this passage, offering a model for how to live faithfully and humbly in service to others and to God. 2
What does simplicity and sustainability mean to us, to you, today? How can we extend the love of Christ to our neighbours or others in the world amid such conditions? Let us, with wisdom and humility, courage and compassion embrace simplicity, practice of sustainability, advocate for justice, and cultivate a deep connection with God, others, and the world around us. In the spirit of St. Francis and beyond the honouring of St Francis today, may we renew our commitment to the stewardship of creation, for creation has a divine presence within. 7 May we lovingly nurture the earth by becoming instruments of peace.
Let us go forward with this collect from For All the Saints for the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. Holy Jesus, give us something of Francis’ simplicity, something of his recklessness, something of his obedience; give us the courage to understand what you say and to do it. Amen.
- https://www.salalandcedar.com/wildlectionary/2024-9-sunday-october-6-2024-a-new-creation-is-everything
- https://www.preachingforgodsworld.org/franciscan-spirituality/
- https://study.com/academy/lesson/letter-hebrews-bible-summary-author-purpose.html#:~:text=The%20general%20purpose%20of%20the,superior%20to%20Temple%20sacrificial%20rituals
- https://www.preachingforgodsworld.org/franciscan-spirituality/
- https://tssf.org.nz/
- https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-27-2/commentary-on-mark-102-16-2
- https://www.greenanglicans.org/season-of-creation-2024/