A Franciscan Friday Five

Sally said: “I would like to dedicate this Friday Five to St Francis of Assisi.”
She posted a Friday dedicated to St. Francis, as this is his feast day.

1. Saint Francis experienced a life changing call, has anything in your journey so far challenged you to alter your lifestyle?
Several things have done so. I worked in the interior design business from 1972 to about 1985, first in the design end and in the business end. In 1985, you mar remember, we were in the early days of the AIDS epidemic and the design business was hit hard, with my clients and colleagues getting sick and dying on a daily basis. It had a profound effect on me and forced me to reevaluate my vocational life and eventually to return to school and eventually to become a counselor.


2. Francis experienced mocking and persecution, quite often in the comfortable west this is far from our experience. If you have experienced something like this how do you deal with it, if not how does it challenge you to pray for those whose experience is daily persecution?
Well, there was coming out. Worrying about being discovered, being rejected, being declared mentally ill-we're talking about the late 60's here! It took moving from Ohio to NY in 1972 to actually act on my orientation. On a much smaller level, As an person of Italian heritage attending an Irish Catholic parochial school I took a lot of ribbing and was occasionally treated as a second class citizen. (still don’t reply to their alumni donation requests…) so there!


3 .St Francis had female counterpart in St Clare, she was influenced by St Francis sermon and went on to found the Poor Clare's, like the Franciscans they depended on alms this was unheard of for women in that time, but she persisted and gained permission to found the order. How important are role models like St Clare to you? Do you have a particular female role model whose courage and dedication inspires you? If so share their story....
I have lots of female role models. I’ll think of a particular one to post later. A lot of them are part of this group!

4. Francis loved nature and animals, how important is an expressed love of the created world to the Christian message today?
Nature is important to all of the spiritual world, not just Christian.

5. On a lighter note; have you ever led a service of blessing for animals, or a pet service, was it a success, did you enjoy it, and would you do it again?
No, can't say as I have not have I been to one.