Testimony Of St Francis (Gen 28:13, 15; Luke 22:35) (Testimony)
Giotto was the Italian artist who painted large images of St Francis in the Basilica in Assisi around 1299. The 3 additional drawings were created by a young Florida artist. Giotto’s piece shows Francis trading his wealthy garments for the rougher clothes of a poor man he met. The three added art pieces are the three items that Jesus told His disciples they could do without. When Francis saw this poor man, he felt an overwhelming compassion that led him to trade his clothes with him. Francis spent the rest of life looking for ways to give up anything that he might claim as his own for the sake of the poor and needy in his world. His community of “Lesser Brothers” became known as the Franciscans. They wore a brown garment as a sign of their identity to serve those to whom our Lord would send them. The texts for today and several from this week reveal the words that got into the heart of Francis and his followers about serving the poor. He fulfilled his mission with joy. Certainly when he met his Lord face to face, at the young age of 44, he would answer the question from today’s texts, “No Lord, I lacked for nothing and it was a privilege to live without so that I could help others discover your life within!”
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