Those who love and obey God are called the 'Faithful'. Such a person 'trusts' God . . . for everything. Francis was faithful, trusting God to control every aspect of his life - both those things of great importance as well as the trivial. This means that he didn't just trust God's goodness when things were going well but held on to his faith, enduring with patience and love, when things were going wrong - even when they were going terribly wrong!
Most of us consider ourselves to be people of faith but, as St. Paul said, "The evil day will prove it". It is easy to SAY we trust God but, when things get rough, do we STAND on our faith or surrender to despair?! When abused by others do we continue to do what God has shown us, by Jesus' example, that we should do - 'bless those that curse you, do good to those who abuse you' - or rely on harsh words to deliver us from our persecutors? If we resort to the tools of this world then . . . we have proven we don't believe Jesus' promises and won't act in ways He showed used by example.
Our faith in God is really tested when it comes to Obedience. Do we believe that God can use even the bad intent of those who try to hurt us? Are we able to endure, focus on God, and do what is right anyway - be obedient to God's word - in the face of this apparent evil?
Jesus placed Himself in God's hands and, in obedience to the Father, allowed the soldiers to torture and execute Him. Francis entrusted himself to God when he encountered the robbers on that deserted road, even after they beat and humiliated him. Throughout Church history, the faithful allowed themselves to be Martyred, trusting God to take care of them even while being abused, tortured and killed. They sealed their faith, in obedience to the law of love, with their blood.
St. Paul said, "All things work together for good to those who love God". We should believe that ALL THINGS - even those that look bad - accomplish God's good purposes in our lives. The ultimate proof that something can look bad but actually be good is Jesus' crucifixion. What worse thing could happen to the Son of God and yet, it was that which exalted him and brought redemption to all things - including those who killed Him! What great good was accomplished by God through this evil crime! Jesus believed God had a good plan, so submitted obediently to it, with faith!
St. Francis said: "Holy obedience . . . makes a person subject to anybody in this world; and not to men alone, but to all the beasts and wild things, so that they can do what they please with him so far as the Lord on high might grant it them."
St. Francis said, "Holy obedience . . . makes a person subject to anybody in this world". Francis was not speaking glibly and meant what he said - he would obey ANYONE. When Francis said 'subject' he meant he would submit to the will of everyone. Francis was subject, and a servant, to all, following Jesus' example. Jesus said, "I have not come to be served, but to serve and give my life a ransom for many." Jesus was obedient to His Father, becoming a humble servant to humanity. Remember what Jesus said after washing the disciple's feet at the last Supper, "You call me Lord and Master and this is right since I am. Yet I have acted among you as one that serves. I have left you this example so that you WILL DO to each other as I have done to you." Our Master, Jesus, has ordered us to do as He did.
St. Francis said, "Holy obedience . . . makes a person subject to anybody in this world". Francis was not speaking glibly and meant what he said - he would obey ANYONE. When Francis said 'subject' he meant he would submit to the will of everyone. Francis was subject, and a servant, to all, following Jesus' example. Jesus said, "I have not come to be served, but to serve and give my life a ransom for many." Jesus was obedient to His Father, becoming a humble servant to humanity. Remember what Jesus said after washing the disciple's feet at the last Supper, "You call me Lord and Master and this is right since I am. Yet I have acted among you as one that serves. I have left you this example so that you WILL DO to each other as I have done to you." Our Master, Jesus, has ordered us to do as He did.
Francis didn't mean only people when he said true Obedience submits to all. He said, ' . . . and not to men alone, but to all the beasts and wild things.' The question arises - how does one submit to wild animals? If a wolf wants to eat us or a mosquito wants to take a sip of our blood, do we submit to their desires?
We know that, in faith, Francis confronted the Wolf of Gubbio and rebuked him for eating people. He confronted this ferocious man-eater without any protection, weapons and without a large group of people to back him up. He did it with faith that God was fully in control of the situation. Of course, God was in control, so Francis was able, through faith, to bring peace between the wolf and the people - the wolf was dangerous no more!
We have the story of Daniel in the Lions den. Those lions were given human flesh to eat, had been deprived of food for several weeks to make them hungrier, and they were very anxious to eat the prophet Daniel. However, when Daniel was thrown into the pit, the lions found their mouths sealed shut. They not only didn't bite Daniel but didn't try to touch him with one of their claws. Of course, we read that Jesus, driven into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested, was, 'surrounded by wild animals' but left the wilderness unharmed. Remember when St. Paul was building the fire and the poisonous viper latched onto his hand? He shook it off into the fire and continued to serve, without a worry, and without being harmed! Francis, like Jesus, Daniel and St. Paul, believed in God's promises and so submitted in faith, to God, in whatever trial came his way.
The 'beast' test is hard enough for us to trust God in so what does Francis mean when he says 'wild things'? He must have been talking about inanimate objects. For example, while sitting by a fire one day his habit caught on fire. Francis leaped up and extinguished the fire but soon after regretted his actions saying, "I deprived brother fire of the clothes he wanted to eat!" It is apparent he felt he should have let brother fire eat the clothes off his back, literally!
Now, having faith in tough situations does not mean that we should seek them out. There is a sin called 'testing' God. The devil tempted Jesus in this way when he took him to the top of the Temple and told Him to throw Himself off with the idea that God would send His angels to catch Him before he hit the ground. Jesus' response was, "It is written, 'You must not test the Lord Your God." It is when we find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control and when our efforts to extricate ourselves (in the ways God approves) fail, that we submit to the situation with faith that God actually has some good plan in it for us.
Francis concludes this passage by saying these people, animals and things "can do what they please with him so far as the Lord on high might grant it them". Francis acknowledged that people, animals and things have a will of their own. However, he knew that there were limits to what they could do since 'all things are subject to the will of God'. That is why he called the devils 'God's servants to punish every disobedience and sin' in the faithful. Francis didn't trust the devils themselves (whose only desire is to 'steal, kill and destroy') but he knew that they couldn't go past what God allowed and that God used them (along with everything else) to accomplish His will. So when he was being attacked by demons he encouraged them to inflict more pain on him since God was working through them to purify him of his sin (through trials of faith). Francis desired purification with all of his heart since it is 'the pure of heart who see God'.
We know it is faith that draws us close to God, allows us to hear and see Him in our daily lives and gives us both peace and joy and the power to love without limit - no matter what we are suffering at the time. Faith is revealed very clearly, through our acts of obedience. Each act of obedience proves how much we truly trust God. Through Obedience, the progress one makes in faith can be phenomenal. Francis said, "No act done in obedience is a waste of time". Francis always wanted to live under obedience since he wanted to always move forward in the way of God - grow in faith. How much do you want to grow in faith?
PRAYER: Lord, Holy Obedience sounds like a wonderful virtue but it also sounds really hard to achieve! Yet, it is the way we prove we truly love You and appreciate all You've done for us! Help us Lord by hearing our prayer, the same prayer offered by the man struggling with his faith who said, "I believe Lord! Help me in my unbelief!" You can save us Lord - even despite our self-destructive tendencies. You can give us faith and make it strong to stand any test the Flesh, World and devil can throw at us. Help us to always rely on Your promises, to recall how deeply You love us and are committed to us - revealed by Your sufferings on the cross. Give us the faith of Your servant Francis who loved You 'unto death'. Thank You for showing us the way and we believe You will move us down the Way and give us Life. Amen.
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