Peace-is-possible

303 create love Remember that those with whom you are in conflict are created and loved by God. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM

302 set free A cicada used to perch on a fig tree beside St. Francis’s cell at the Portiuncula and sing there, inspiring the saint to praise God for its song, because he could admire the glory of the Creator in the most insignificant creature. Then one day he called it and when it hopped on to his hand as if it had been taught by God, he told it, Sing, my sister cicada. Sing a song of praise to God your Creator. Immediately the cicada started to chirp and never stopped un...til the saint told it to go back to its usual perch. There it remained for a whole week and it came and went every day, singing at his command....This cicada pointed Francis to God, but Francis refused to allow it become an obstacle to God or God’s rival. We have seen the same dynamic at work in how he treated people. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM What little part of nature has opened your eyes? Who or what can you set free today?

301 reclaim freedom Another time St. Francis was offered a live hare at Greccio. He put it on the ground and left it free to go where it pleased, but the moment he called it, it jumped into his arms. (Bonaventure, Major Life of St. Francis, VIII, Living as Francis Did For a time, the hare used its freedom to stay close to Francis. Eventually, the hare lived freely apart from Francis. Genuinely holy people never seek to make others dependent on them, trying to control t...hem. Saints encourage us to claim and use our freedom to its full extent, not accepting whatever puny caricature Satan is trying to pass off as genuine freedom. Growing with Francis Have you allowed other people to exercise undue influence in your life? Are you truly as powerless about this situation or these situations as you may have told yourself? What do you need to do to reclaim the freedom you have mistakenly surrendered? Calmly do one thing today to reaffirm your God-given dignity and freedom. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM See more

300 be aware Be aware of the gifts that come to you. They may be small peeks of natural beauty that are overlooked by many. May these gifts make you smile and increase your thankfulness.

299 holy is Holiness is not simply a matter of having pious ideas; it grows when our gratitude for God’s creation continues to find new ways of expressing itself. Growing with Francis: What are your priorities? Are they obvious to your friends and family members? How might you act more generously on those priorities? Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM... Grow in gratitude for creative flow.

298 original innocence In some ways, Francis seemed to be a man from another world because his conversion brought him much closer to the state of original innocence than his contemporaries thought possible. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM Find your original innocence. Be at peace.

297 genuine realism The realization that everything comes from the same source filled Francis with greater affection than ever and he called even the most insignificant creatures his brothers and sisters, because he knew they had the same origin as himself....Let no one convince you that selfishness is more realistic than ever-expanding generosity in response to God’s great variety of gifts in creation. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM

296 creating compassion Compassion, as St. Paul tells us, is all-availing and it filled the heart of Francis and penetrated its depths to such an extent that his whole life seemed to be governed by it. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM Enter a state of quiet compassion.... Think out the state of compassion that filled Francis as he greeted all of nature. Every decision he made, he was guided by compassion. Today, make one decision guided by compassion. See more

295 all creatures He came to a certain place near Bevagna where a very great number of birds of various kinds had congregated, namely, doves, crows, and some others popularly called daws [a crowlike bird]. When Francis saw them, being a man of very great fervor and great tenderness toward lower and irrational creatures, he left his companions in the road and ran eagerly toward the birds. When he was close enough to them, seeing that they were waiting expectantly for him, h...e greeted them in his usual way. But, not a little surprised that the birds did not rise in flight, as they usually do, he was filled with great joy and humbly begged them to listen to the word of God. (Celano, First Life of St. Francis, 58) Growing with Francis: What creature that you consider a nuisance might you learn to appreciate? Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM See more

294 make room Francis encouraged all creation to praise the God who sustains its existence. Some people admit that God created everything, but they give the impressionor state quite openlythat God has become bored with creation and has more important things to do. Francis never thought or acted that way. God does not need to decrease in order for us to fulfill our destiny. We fulfill our destiny by living in the freedom that God desires for us. Nothing is more valuable. How can you make more room in your life for God today? Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM

293 eden’s garden In some ways, Francis reminded his contemporaries of the harmony of creation before Adam and Eve’s sin. That explains why so many animals felt comfortable in his presence. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM

292 let go Love is not so much about acquiring as about letting go....We sometimes are in danger of smothering the things that we claim to love. The same can be true of people. Today do one thing to nurture someone else’s freedom. A compliment on a job well done or saying, You can do it, could make that person’s day. Such generosity is never wasted. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM

291 be good Francis teaches us to use things gently and to respect people. At times, we are tempted to respect things and use people. Resist any such temptation today. Peace and Good: Through the Year with Francis of Assisi by Pat McCloskey OFM