Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi is one of the western church’s most beloved saints. He was also a pre-Reformation reformer. He was not afraid to stand up to the hierarchy. Indeed, some members of his order even referred to the pope as “antichrist” long before Lutherans made that connection. Francis is credited with the first live nativity scene and the stations of the cross that adorn some Lutheran sanctuaries, both ancient and modern. Here are three references to St. Francis from our venerable Lutheran tradition:
The Lutheran confessions refer to Francis, Anthony, Bernard, and Dominic as “holy fathers” (Ap 5.3.90 or 4.211 depending on which translation you are using).
Our Book of Concord also refers to Francis of Assisi as “St. Francis” while appealing to his wisdom regarding “private Masses” (Ap 24:7).
Our symbols also refer to Francis and Bernard of Clairvaux as “holy men” in a Lutheran defense of monastic life, i.e. so long as the vows are seen as “adiaphora” and do not “justify or merit eternal life” (Ap 27:21).
Given that our Lutheran confessions recognize St. Francis of Assisi in this way, why is it that his feast day is conspicuously absent from our sanctoral calendar (LSB xii-xiii)? Sts. Dominic and Anthony are also omitted, though St. Bernard of Clairvaux is among our recognized saints (August 19). Our calendar of saints is also bereft of any Scandinavian heroes of the Reformation (or even from the pre-Reformation era). It seems that for qualification within the LCMS as a post-Reformation saint, the criteria appear to include the requirement of German ethnicity. For also missing are the Swedish heroes of the Reformation: Sts. Laurentius and Olaus Petri, St. Gustav Vasa, St. Gustavus Adolphus, and others.
Here is a collect from the Roman Catholic Church in commemoration of St. Francis:
“O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.”