Reflection by Emilio Alvarez

Buongiorno, brava gente! Good Morning, good people! Happy St. Francis Week! This week at Viterbo we celebrate the heart of the Franciscan movement, St. Francis of Assisi. We might associate St. Francis as the saint who loved the birds, animals, and all of creation, but he shouldn’t be relegated to just the garden or the birdbath. St. Francis lived a life of radical joy, humility, and acceptance. His example changed the world and the many generations of people that followed. Here at Viterbo we celebrate the remarkable ways we can participate in the vision St. Francis had to spread the love of God and the joy of the Gospel message to all the world.

There are many stories that can be shared about the life of St. Francis, each with their own distinct message. I encourage all of you to take time over this week to learn one more thing about St. Francis that you didn’t know. You can learn about one of his many stories such as his creation of the Christmas Crèche (the first reenactment of the little night in Bethlehem), his war experience, his embrace of the leper, his interaction with the Sultan, his canticle of creatures, and his founding of the order just to name a few.

REFLECTION:
We can tell through the stories of his life that St. Francis was surprised by God’s goodness. How can we be surprised by God’s goodness in our own lives? How can we reflect the same joy that St. Francis encountered? How can we participate in the same rebuilding that St. Francis was called to?

As an example, I recall St. Francis’ earlier life. As a young man, St. Francis lived a life of excess and fun with dreams of being a knight and going to war. He traveled to war and was captured for a year as a prisoner. After his ransom and return to Assisi, he was lost about his place in the world, something had changed. St. Francis found himself in the little dilapidated church of San Damiano. In his prayer before the cross, he heard the voice of God say, “Repair my house, for it is falling into ruin.” In a moment of clarity, everything changed for St. Francis. His purpose and pursuit was now to live a life of radical joy in the world in service of God’s call for him restore the Church and the hearts of all those he encountered. The story had more details, but I encourage you to explore the events that followed. It is my hope that St. Francis will continue to surprise us and speak directly to us through the examples of his life.

I believe that Viterbo University has integrated this call to “repair my house” into its very mission and vision. As we prepare students for faithful service and ethical leadership, our community engages in the very same rebuilding that St. Francis was called to live in his life. Our students will go out to heal and restore communities, people, and all of creation.

“St. Francis witnesses to respect for everyone, he testified that each of us is called to protect our neighbor. This is where we find God.”

—Pope Francis