The Roman Catholic Lectionary for the feast to commemorate the life of St Francis of Assisi features texts which show humility and relationship to God to be the values which bring Life. The Islamic feast of Eid al-Adha is also celebrated today. The relationship of this saint with Muslim leaders during a time of conflict in the Crusades is extremely relevant today as mostly Christian armed forces prepare to do battle with Muslims in Syria and Iraq. The conclusion of Job that he must simply trust in God has resonance within the pillars of Islam. Friar Jude Winkler comments on our need to understand some of the language of sacred texts according to the traditions of the time. Thankfully we no longer consider children as possessions and some of the misunderstanding of sacrifice in Islam is based on attempts to understand the practices of earlier times with a modern mindset. Don Schwager finds the call to simplicity of heart in the advice Jesus gives His disciples in the Gospel from Luke. The power and magnificence of God experienced by the disciples is deeply experienced in the simplicity of faith and a loving charity toward others. Steve Scholer tells of Francis action toward a street beggar which was an experience of loving all people. Fr Richard Rohr describes the method of Francis to bring about reform is to practice the better. The prayer of peace of St Francis is the humble start to a reform of our attitudes to surrender to Love.
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