We all know that Francis was a strong man of faith but many of us don't realize that he was also just a very strong man. He was NOT afraid to confront a hypocrite ('brother fly') but to tell him off and send him packing back to the 'world', something a 'wimp' wouldn't do! Francis wasn't a wimp when it came to the spiritual life either. He overcame his fleshy nature - one of the hardest things a person can do!
Francis has an undeserved reputation for being something of a 'wimp'. He is described as being gentle, tender, long-suffering and is portrayed as being slender, small and not very muscular. What most makes him seem wimpy to people was his use of 'cutesy' words 'little', as in 'your little brother Francis'. Francis was also known to just 'take it' - to endure abuse, both physical and verbal, from anyone, anytime, without defending himself. Some people 'in the world' interpret all of this as indicating weakness. How very wrong they are!
Francis was an extremely strong man and showed how fierce if it was called for. He was unyielding before the leaders of the Church (as well as secular authorities) in regards to what he felt God had told him (and them!) to do - e.g. the vow of poverty being included in the Rule.
The myth of his wimpiness is proven false by how he handled persecution. He faced bands of warriors, vicious robbers and threatening sultans - without any means of defense - fearlessly. (He actually offered to endure the 'trial by fire' to prove his faith in Jesus to the sultan!) He suffered without complaining, accepting the trials with joy. What is stronger than that?!
A man approached Francis after hearing him preach the Gospel in the town square. He was inspired by the grace-filled words of Christ flowing from Francis' and the fervor and joy showing on Francis' face, ringing in his voice. He was so inspired that he decided to 'forsake the world' and follow Francis in the footsteps of Christ. Francis welcomed him and told him what he must do.
St. Francis said, "If you want to join the poor of God, first distribute your goods to the poor."
However, the man ended up giving his property to his family! Francis ended up rebuking and dismissing the man! "Go your way, brother fly, because you have not yet gone forth from your house and your kindred. You gave your goods to your relatives, defrauding the poor, and so you are not worthy of a place with the holy poor. Beginning in the flesh you have laid a ruinous foundation for a spiritual structure!"
Remember what Jesus said to the rich young ruler who approached Him. "If you would be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor. Then come, follow me." In that story the rich young man's face fell with disappointment at Jesus' words. He ended up turning his back on Christ rather than giving up his wealth. The man who promised to follow Francis readily agreed to 'give up everything' but he also turned from Christ (who was speaking through Francis) by failing to follow through on his promises.
Francis doesn't mince words with this man. He calls him 'brother fly' - a term he used for those who had no appreciation or understanding of the spiritual life. 'Brother fly' was lazy, selfish, sensual and unprincipled. He lacked integrity, spiritual self-discipline and failed to meet his obligations to God and man. We dislike flies because they love to feast on excrement and corpses. They irritate us when they buzz around our faces, causing distraction and frustration. They even try to get into our mouths! When they land on anything they throw up digestive juices and sometimes even bite us, drawing blood, spreading diseases! Pretty disgusting!
Jesus tells us that we must forsake the world, our family and friends, and even our own lives, if we wish to follow Him. He adds that we must abandon worldly ambitions and be willing to neglect our own needs, comfort and safety to do God's will. Jesus said, "Those who seek to save their lives shall lose them but those who willingly lose their lives, for My sake, shall save them."
Francis rebuked 'brother fly' for 'not going forth from . . . house or . . . kindred' - not leaving 'the world' as he had promised. He said that because the man gave his property to his family he had 'defrauded the poor'. Francis calls the man, in effect, a thief! When the man agreed to give his property to the poor, it became the poor's property in God's eyes. this man actually turned his holy and sincere promise . . . into a lie.
There are the 'poor' - the masses of humanity who have nothing in this world. Then there are the 'holy poor' who are willingly and willfully poor, choosing and/or accepting Holy Poverty in faith for the love of God. How had this man proven that he was 'unworthy of a place amongst the holy poor'? He had proven he had little appreciation for what was spiritual or holy - specifically the Holy Poverty cherished by the brothers.
Francis explained the man was beginning his spiritual life in the 'flesh'. Recall that the flesh is the sensual, selfish and rebellious part of our heart - our sinful nature. It is an ally of the 'world' - in that the world is the societal manifestation of everyone's sinful nature. The world seeks to misuse, to the extreme, the good things of God without any acceptance of responsibility, no sense of justice, and no concern about the ultimate price to be paid for it's actions.
St. James said, "Don't you know that friendship with the world makes you the enemy of God!? Whoever, therefore wants to be a friend of the world is God's enemy." St. Peter said, "Dearly beloved, I beg you as strangers and pilgrims in this world to keep fleshy lusts at a distance since they war against your souls." St. Paul said, " . . . hurtful lusts drown men in destruction" And "The carnal mind is ever at war with God." That which is fleshy (carnal) is the enemy of that which is spiritual in the same way that the world is the enemy of God. Jesus said, "Either you are with Me or against Me." There is no neutral ground in this spiritual war and each of us must make a choice.
This man showed that he was neither ready to forsake 'the world' nor his fleshy way of life. Our sinful nature, driven by selfish lust, destroys all that is holy and good within us. This 'brother fly' proved that his sinful nature ruled his life by causing him to choose the world and reject God - choosing death rather than life in God.
Also, in giving his property to his family, he was preserving his place in the world - looking back just like Lot's wife did. Jesus said, "Any man who puts his hand to the plow but looks back is not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven." We must fulfill the words of the Christian hymn, "The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back. No turning back."
Francis said that this man's spiritual foundation was 'ruinous'. He meant that this man's worldly and fleshy values made for a terrible spiritual foundation. A foundation provides support and protection for the edifice built upon it. Therefore, if a foundation is faulty, the structure built on it will start to fall apart and, eventually, the whole structure will fall in upon itself. A house's collapse will ultimately fail to achieve it's purpose - providing a safe shelter to live in. However, in addition, it will also destroy the families treasures stored within it and may even cause the injury and death of it's occupants.
Jesus spoke bluntly about the kind of man who 'builds' this kind of spiritual foundation when He said, "But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell: and what a fall it had!" Francis had the same perspective as Jesus when it came to 'flies' - they were just plain STUPID when it came to the spiritual life. Followers of Jesus, friends of Francis, are not spiritual flies but the very children of God - holy, faithful and persistant on the path of righteousness.
PRAYER: Jesus, help us to build a strong foundation for our lives - one based on the sure promises of Your love. Help us to realize that the flesh and the world are evil - promising us peace, joy and love but bringing only pain, sorrow and death. Help us to faithfully fulfill all we have promised You. Make us strong against the 'flies' - our fleshiness and love for the world - just like You strengthened Francis. We know that by clinging to Holy Poverty we can overcome ourselves and be free in Your peace and joy. You offer us the crown of life - victory over death - and eternal joy, both temporally and eternally. We believe and that is why we, like Francis, choose to turn our back on the world and follow You to the end. Be exalted forever! Amen.
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