The call

  11th April 2024

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I spent the last week or so following the Way of St Francis in Italy, ending up at Assisi. We were very lucky with the weather… sorry! We stopped at various points linked with the life of St Francis, and on the last day we walked down from Assisi to the church of San Damiano. It was a lovely peaceful spot, surrounded by olive groves filled with wild flowers and birds.

This was one of the important places on Francis’s journey. He came to the church one day and found it in a bad state. But there was a cross hanging there. Francis gazed at the figure of Jesus on the cross, and he heard Jesus say to him ‘Francis, Francis, go and repair my house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins’.

Francis took this literally, first trying to get money to repair the church, and then begging for stones, carrying them to the chapel, and repairing it with his own hands. But as he continued in his life of listening to God’s call, and following, it became clear that it wasn’t the literal rebuilding of the church that he was called to do.

The cross that Francis looked at is different from many of the crosses and crucifixes that we might see in churches. It now hangs in the church of Santa Chiara – St Clare and I was able to spend some time looking at it.

What do you notice…

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Jesus is surrounded by people – and angels. And unlike many illustrations of the crucifixion, these people seem quite cheerful. It’s as if Jesus is welcoming us to join this community, formed by his self giving on the cross, and shelter with them beneath his loving arms.

That was the sort of rebuilding that Francis did – he went on to create a community of men living out the gospel with him – and then Clare – one of his followers – followed him, and created a community for women, living at San Damiano. There are now Franciscans all over the world, including at Hilfield Friary in Dorset, where we take a trip each year – and many following the Franciscan way in their ordinary lives. Like Francis, their life of prayer sends them out to bring God’s love to the world.

God’s call to Francis wasn’t so much about what to do but how to be – He drew people to follow him by the way he was – by his faith and joy and simplicity.

We thought about Francis and his calling one morning in our prayers outside, before we set off on our daily walk. Keith, our leader, offered this question for reflection: ‘Where, or how, is God calling to you at this moment in life?’

My first thought was, I’m already following my call – to be a chaplain. But then I thought about the call not just to do, but to be. How was God calling me to be? And as I looked to the day ahead – walking with this group I had just begun to get to know – I thought that the call was maybe to listen – to ask questions – and to make space for people to tell their stories. And this was perhaps the call for me to explore more deeply when I returned.

You might like to spend a little time with that question.

You could look at the picture of the cross, or close your eyes.

Open your hands, and breathe a little slower.

Focus your attention on the presence of God within you

maybe through that image of Jesus…

or a sense of God’s spirit stirring in you…

…

Where, or how, is God calling you at this moment in life?

…

Maybe to doing…

Maybe to a way of being…

Maybe to follow the journey you are already on…

Maybe to look for a new path…

Maybe simply to rest under the loving arms of Jesus…

Spend some time quietly allowing what comes.

…

Jesus, risen Lord, you called Francis into a life of self giving love –

following your way and living out your gospel.

May we hear your call.

May we be open to your self-giving love.

And may your love shape our lives.

Amen.