HOLY WEEK WEDNESDAY. ST FRANCIS AND HIS “FOOLISHNESS” 800 YEARS ON.

MARFAM WEEKLY ENEWSLETTER 1 APRIL 2026

1 April is commonly known as April Fools’ Day.  Is it still a common thing to do, to play pranks on people or get taken for a ride or certainly be tricked and teased? Judging by what google and AI tell us, there is still plenty of hope that a bit of fun and laughter could lighten up our pretty unfunny world of today, because fun and laughter are what it is supposed to be all about. Some people are already saying April Fool’s has been cancelled this year, for obvious reasons but. is that a joke or the truth? Maybe promising a reduction in the fuel levy, which is due on this day, if not a reduction in the price, could be an either/or too. 

Language plays a big role in how we think, reason and judge others and situations. We need to listen to understand what people are saying and what they mean.  Nowadays that can be a problem in our global village with many foreigners coming and going.  No one likes to be seen as a fool, or made a fool of, and yet there are those who deliberately choose the way of foolishness.  There are some who appear to deliberately say stupid things, possibly to irritate people. But then there are others, like Jesus, like Francis, St Clare and their followers who are foolish in a challenging way, fools for God. One look at the Beatitudes, presented by Jesus right at the beginning of his public ministry to see his radical way of embracing simplicity, poverty, compassion, acceptance and tolerance, with love.   

A dictionary definition of the word Fool describes it as unwise, imprudent, silly, but maybe not quite stupid, or an idiot. Being a fool or being fooled are not necessarily bad but definitely uncomfortable or can be an honest admission at least of some weakness, e.g. “You could have fooled me.” 

Historically a fool as a court jester, a joker or clownish character was someone retained in a royal or noble household, who could get away with “making fun of” or whose role was exposing a difficult truth in a way that is not necessarily hurtful or offensive.  There is an almost endless lists of similes;  nincompoop, dolt, daft, clot, soft in the head.++ Some can be offensive, idiot or amusing  – humbug or they can be dead-serious too.  

The Bible has a big say in the matter, as it often does in the use of words. Paul has a long debate about the folly of preaching the Crucified Christ as opposed to worldly wisdom i.e. self-interest and self-preservation.  1 Corinthians 1:18-25: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”. He writes, “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?“ Or conversely, “It pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” Paul contrasts human wisdom with the gospel. The message of the cross seems like foolishness to the world, but it is actually the profound wisdom of God, designed to save believers and humble human pride. But what is the word of the cross that is such foolishness and yet leads to salvation?  The Word is all aspects of the Incarnation of Jesus which are examples of the loving and gracious foolishness of God. Becoming human, being born in poverty, living a life in the way of the Beatitudes, allowing himself to be mocked, beaten and humbled.“ Philippians 2  “do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others, have this among yourselves which was in Christ Jesus.  Christ emptied himself, taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on a cross.”   Such is the loving gracious foolishness of God.  

St. Francis of Assisi is considered a “fool for Christ” for abandoning wealth, social status, and conventional wisdom to embrace extreme poverty, humility, and radical love in imitation of Jesus. His “foolishness” involved acting contrary to worldly values, such as embracing lepers, preaching to animals, loving all of nature and wandering about begging and preaching love and peace Jesus’ way. All of these challenged the status quo, and filled Francis with great joy to be able to follow his Master. St Clare herself followed in the path of St Francis, right until her own death 30 years after he died.

I do need to ask myself “Was he putting on an act, did he do this to draw attention to himself, or to make a statement on behalf of God.” It was known that Francis was an actor, a poet and a singer who could have chosen a career as a minstrel or troubadour.  But his was a genuine calling,  while there were and are certainly people whose “foolish” behaviour is not a genuine calling to goodness in our time, even some preachers/prophets or protestors making a name of themselves.  

By acting as a “fool,” Francis demonstrated that what the world considers foolish (poverty, humility) is true wisdom in the eyes of God. 

But his joy was also challenged by much suffering in which he also followed Jesus’ way. On his return from a peace-seeking mission to Damietta in Egypt during the 5^th crusade he found that some of his brothers were turning away from his very strict rule especially of poverty.  Division amongst them eventually led to him relinquishing his leadership while focusing more fully on his passionate love of Jesus.  This caused him tremendous mental pain on top of physical pain of an eye condition.  He withdrew to his mountain retreat of La Verna to meditate.   That was when he made his request as described in the The Little Flowers of St Francis of Assisi.  The day before the Feast of the most Holy Cross, as St Francis was praying secretly in his cell, an angel of God appeared to him, and spake to him thus from God: “I am come to admonish and encourage thee, that thou prepare thyself to receive in all patience and humility that which God will give and do to thee.” St Francis replied: “I am ready to bear patiently whatsoever my Lord shall be pleased to do to me”; and so the angel departed. On the following day – being the Feast of the Holy Cross – St Francis was praying before daybreak at the entrance of his cell, and turning his face towards the east, he prayed in these words: “O Lord Jesus Christ, two graces do I ask of thee before I die; the first, that in my lifetime I may feel, as far as possible, both in my soul and body, that pain which thou, sweet Lord, didst endure in the hour of thy most bitter Passion; the second, that I may feel in my heart as much as possible of that excess of love by which thou, O Son of God, was inflamed to suffer so cruel a Passion for us sinners.” And continuing a long time in that prayer, he understood that God had heard him, and that, so far as is possible for a mere creature, he should be permitted to feel these things. 

St Francis began to contemplate most devoutly the Passion of Jesus Christ and his infinite charity; and so greatly did the fervour of devotion increase within him, that he was all transformed into Jesus by love and compassion.  On that same morning he beheld a seraph descending from heaven with six fiery and resplendent wings; and this seraph drew nigh unto St Francis, so that he could plainly perceive that he bore the image of one crucified; And when St Francis beheld it, he was much afraid, and filled at once with joy and grief and wonder. He felt great joy at the gracious presence of Christ, who appeared to him thus familiarly, and looked upon him lovingly, but, beholding him thus crucified, he felt exceeding grief and compassion.

It was revealed to him that he might understand that, not by martyrdom of the body, but by a consuming fire of the soul, he was to be transformed into the express image of Christ crucified. Then did all the Mount Alvernia appear wrapped in intense fire, which illumined all the mountains and valleys around and shepherds who were watching their flocks in that country were filled with fear. Christ spoke to him certain high and secret things, “Knowest thou,” said Christ, ”what I have done to thee? I have given thee the stigmata which are the insignia of my Passion, that thou mayest be my standard-bearer; and as on the day of my death I descended into limbo, and delivered all the souls whom I found there, so do I grant thee that every year on the anniversary of thy death thou mayst go to Purgatory, and take to the glory of Paradise the souls of others whom thou shalt find there, who have been especially devout to thee.”

Then that marvellous vision disappeared, leaving in the heart of St Francis an excessive fire and ardour of divine love, and on his flesh a wonderful trace and image of the Passion of Christ. For upon his hands and feet began immediately to appear the figures of the nails, as he had seen them on the Body of Christ crucified, who had appeared to him in the likeness of a seraph. And thus the hands and feet appeared pierced through the midst by the nails. In like manner, on the right side appeared the image of an unhealed wound, as if made by a lance, and still red and bleeding, from which drops of blood often flowed from the holy breast of St Francis, staining his tunic.

From the time of returning from La Verna his bodily healthy continued to deteriorate and he was cared for by Brother Leo, one of his favourites and other beloved brothers,  by Clare and some good friends.  During these months he experienced great pain, depression, but also moments of extreme unity with Jesus.  While he was unable to write he was inspired to compose the CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES which he dictated and made his brothers sing to alleviate his pain.  He later added a canticle about forgiveness and finally on his deathbed a canticle about Sister Death who he was totally ready to embrace.         

The THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY until Easter Monday relate these events from the LITTLE FLOWERS OF ST FRANCIS.   

I couldn’t resist now, 800 years after the death of Francis to pick up the focus of April fool’s day to link it with my favourite saint, the person who has inspired me for a long time, in lots of different ways, and is also known as A FOOL FOR CHRIST.   After some serious reflection it seems clear to me that April Fool’s Day should or could even be useful way to show up someone’s weaknesses or blind spots.  Has anyone very seriously tried that with the protagonists of the horrific wars in the Middle East?  “Blessed are the peace-makers,  for they shall be called children of God.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.

1 April. Wednesday of Holy Week.    Bruce introduced the reflection for the day. The Lord’s servant in humility submits to the insults of those who do not listen.

JUDGE, reflect and share. Scripture: From the Third song of the servant of the Lord.  The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary.  Morning by morning he wakens, he wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. I turned not backwards. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God helps me.    Is 50:4-9.

From The Little Flowers of St Francis of Assisi.  The humble servant of Christ, St Francis, having already assembled and received many brothers into the Order, was much troubled and perplexed in mind as to what he ought to do; whether to give himself entirely to prayer, or now and then to preach the Word. Through his great humility, he had no opinion of himself or of the virtue of his prayers; and, wishing to know the will of God, he sought to learn it through the prayers of others. Wherefore he called to him Brother Masseo, and thus addressed him: “Go to Sister Clare, and bid her from me to set herself with some of the holiest of her sisters to pray the Lord that he may show me clearly whether he wills that I should preach or only keep to prayer. Then go to Brother Silvester, and ask of him the same favour.” Now Brother Silvester was so holy, that whatever he asked of God was granted to his prayer, and often he held converse with the Lord; so that St Francis revered him greatly.

Then Brother Masseo did as St Francis had commanded him; first to St Clare, and then to Brother Silvester, who set about praying immediately. and, having received the answer from the Lord, returned to Brother Masseo, and said to him: “The Lord says, go and tell Brother Francis that he has called him to this state not to save merely his own soul but that he may produce fruits in those of others, and that through him many souls be saved.”  Brother Masseo returned to Sister Clare, to ask what she had learnt from God; and she told him that she and all her companions had received from God the same answer as the Lord had given to Brother Silvester. Brother Masseo hastened to St Francis to bring these answers; and St Francis received him with great charity, washing his feet, and serving him at dinner. When the repast was over, he called Brother Masseo into the forest, and, kneeling down before him, put back his hood; and crossing his arms on his breast, said to him: “What answer dost thou bring me? what does my Lord Jesus Christ order me to do?” Brother Masseo answered: “The Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to Brother Silvester and to Sister Clare, that it is his will thou shouldst go about to preach; for thou hast not been called for thyself alone, but the salvation of others.”

Then St Francis, having received the answer, and knowing it to be the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, arose saying, “Let us go in the name of God.” Taking with him Brother Masseo and Brother Angelo, both holy men, he let himself be guided by the Spirit of God, without considering the road he took. They soon arrived at a town called Savurniano, where St Francis began to preach and convert many to the faith, founded the Third Order, preached to the birds, and reduced to silence the swallows in the field.

REFLECT – SHARE – ACT – PRAY How does this reflection speak to you about humility and listening?