Reflections on Fire of Love

The fire of love for Christ burned so hot in Francis that he longed to give all that he was to Christ through martyrdom. I am struck by the phrase "set on fire therefore by that perfect charity which drives out fear". There is something underneath the words that speaks of a passion beyond words. It echos of an encounter with Christ at the depth of being, which, like a summons propelled Francis to abandon all for the sake of his Beloved.

This encounter with the Divine demanded all of Francis and he longed to live that out and to help other souls by his example. He lived beyond ego, beyond selfishness and beyond desire. All he desired was his Beloved and he saw his beloved in all things, especially in the souls for whom his most precious and holy Beloved Lord Christ Jesus gave his life to save. Francis did all he could to serve the Gospel message.

Fire of Love

In the fervent fire
of his charity
he strove to emulate
the glorious triumph of the holy martyrs
in whom
the flame of love could not be extinguished
nor courage be weakened.
Set on fire, therefore,
by that perfect charity which drives our fear (1 John 4:18),
he longed to offer the Lord
his own life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
in the flames of martyrdom
so that he might repay Christ,
who died for us,
and inspire others to divine love.
---St. Bonaventure

Francis and Creatures

Last night as I was reading about how Francis was able to communicate with animals it impressed upon me the depth of his connection with the Divine. Since all things are made in and through Christ it makes sense that as we deepen our relationship with Christ it would open up new ways of relating to all of creation. I believe that after the resurrection we will all have the ability to communicate with animals in the way that Francis did.

I think that his ability was not myth but rather a sign of the resurrection so that those around him could see what kingdom life looks like. I also think that we get glimpses of this with people who are horse or dog whisperers. While these people may or may not be Christians they have a piece of the cosmic covenant and manifest a more authentic way of being with animals than many other humans are.