Holiday at Sea with St. Francis of Assisi

Preach The Gospel at all times, use words when necessary.

- St. Francis of Assisi

Son of a wealthy cloth merchant, and described as a "lover of pleasure" and a "brawler" in his youth, Giovanni Francesco Bernardone's (aka St Francis) life took a significant turn in 1204, when he became seriously ill. This began something of a spiritual crisis, and by reading the above, one can see easily what it produced in St. Francis' life. By allowing God to break his world down, and his response to that breaking. Are we willing to let God really break our world down, strip us of what we foolishly believe to be "ours"? In the words of C.S. Lewis, "we are like children who would rather go on making mud pies in the slums because they can’t understand what it means to have a holiday at sea". Sometimes we childishly hold onto our sin and pride, instead of letting God take our world apart, so that we can live The Gospel without so many words.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Quote courtesy of Jesus, in Matthew 5:16 NASV)

A Prayer for My Life

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

-St. Francis of Assisi