A Blessing for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi*
Wild and dancing God, you gave us the example of Francis
to show us what it means to embody love on Earth.
He danced in celebration of everything that you created:
the sun, moon, stars, water, wind, earth, and fire,
he called them each brother or sister,
he cherished the birds, the wolf, and the grasshopper,
and even Death became an intimate companion,
a teacher of how precious life is.
Francis saw the whole world as his monastery,
as the place where your sacred presence
shimmers forth like silver.
Give us the courage to follow his example
of holy foolishness, to find our purpose and joy
in a life committed to freedom for all.
Support us to live in alignment with our own sacred purpose
and to remember when each of us says yes,
transformation is not only possible, but inevitable.
Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,
In 2019, soon after John and I began our Jubilee Sabbatical year, we embarked on a pilgrimage to Assisi. After leading pilgrimages for others to Ireland, Germany, and Austria for several years, we were excited to be pilgrims ourselves again and open to the wonder of discovery.
We traveled to Assisi because of our shared love of St. Francis and this was an opportunity to visit places which shaped his vision and spirit. Assisi is a stunning place, a walled city on top of a hill, so that in every direction you see out over the Italian countryside and surrounding villages.
What I did not expect to happen while there was to fall in love with St. Clare.
Clare was a wealthy young woman who was so inspired by Francis’ work and spirit that she left her comfort and riches behind to join him. Sadly because of ongoing illness, she was not able to wander the roads and streets and minister in that mendicant way. Instead, she founded her own community and led a more contemplative way of life.
In an article on St. Clare for The Christian Century, Wendy Murray writes:
“Yet life’s brutal realities upended her dreams of high-spirited action. By the time Clare was 32, Francis had died a lingering and tortured death due to multiple illnesses, while she herself had contracted a malady that left her unable to walk. From that time until her death, she was confined to her bed and animated her duties and longings from within the walls of her small dormitory. Even so, she changed the landscape of her world and forged an alternative picture of female empowerment that, in an upside-down way, rendered a kind of power sufficient to shut the mouths of popes and turn advancing armies on their heels.”
I found in Clare a sister in the journey with chronic illness who was still able to do marvelous work. Due to my own chronic illness, I often spend long hours in bed, sometimes resting, sometimes getting Abbey work done in a way that feels gentle to my body and spirit.
Much to the surprise of my fellow pilgrims in the group we joined, there were a couple of days I chose to stay back from the outings of the day to wonderful places Francis had been, and simply rest and be. There was a wonderful, shaded terrace looking out over the valley. I could be with Clare’s spirit there in a meaningful way.
We were there in July and another marvel were the swifts that would circle and soar as evening approached. I felt that Franciscan spirit of speaking with the birds and heard both Clare and Francis’ presence in these beloved avian kin.
Francis and Clare were soul friends to one another. Even as they often traveled in different directions physically, they were aligned spiritually. There is a beautiful story about a night they broke bread together in a small chapel and above them a beautiful fire was kindled that was seen from miles away.
My much-loved colleague and creative collaborator Simon de Voil also has a great love of St. Francis. Many of you will know his beautiful version of Canticle of Creation which we commissioned from him. Simon and I will be co-leading a mini-retreat on Friday – which is the Feast of St. Francis – exploring the spiritual friendship between Francis and Clare.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, OblSB, PhD, REACE
*Blessing written by Christine for a book of blessings (due to be published in spring 2026)
