Dear friends of AGAC,
This Sunday, at Holy Cross, we are celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi (actual feast day is 4th Oct). He was a remarkable figure known for his ministry to the poor and his care for animals and the environment. He was also a lover of peace and worked hard to achieve it. In the light of what is happening in the world, it strikes me that the veneration of this man who lived a very simple life is more relevant today than ever, and his story is worth retelling.
What fascinates me is that while he certainly loved nature, Francis apparently never used the term natura but instead chose biblical terms and ideas that he found particularly in the psalms and canticles in the Bible which he prayed daily.
What do you admire most about St. Francis? Do you have any favourite episode from his life? If you haven’t read yet, I encourage you to read St. Francis of Assisi written by G. K. Chesterton, or Brother Sun, Sister Moon Saint Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures. Both books are available in the library. As we learn more about St. Francis, I guarantee, we will find a man who shatters the stereotypes, and who is both surprising and inspiring.
In Greenhithe, we are celebrating the Feast of St. Michael and the Archangels, the special feast for parishioners in Greenhithe.
I look forward to celebrating these feasts with you at each congregation this Sunday.
Joyfully in Christ,
Yukiko
