Continuing with a Franciscan Discernment Series, Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Mary Ann Spanjers reflects on “Love Your Enemies”.
October Franciscan Discernment: “Love your enemies”
This is the month of the Feast of St Francis, the epic point of the 800-anniversary year of his transitus from death into eternal life; Oct 3, 1226 – Oct. 3, 2026.
During the evening before he died St Francis asked his friars to sing the Canticle of Br Sun he composed. In this canticle Francis praises God for all he has created with his understanding that we are interconnected to every aspect of creation as brother and sister. However there is a verse many, including me, find difficult
Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
How do I call death “my sister”? Death is the ultimate consequence of sin; A Franciscan Friar friend, Fr. Joachim Studwell, OFM of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, has helped me reconcile this verse of calling death “my sister”.
He first refers to St Paul in the reading 1 Cor 15:20-27 Especially verse 26, For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, St Paul speaks of death as our enemy. Fr Joachim then refers to Jesus, Luke 6:27-28: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”.
Francis of Assisi’s life throughout his conversion was to embody the Gospel of Jesus—all of it! Jesus teaches us to love our enemies; For Francis this included the enemy of death; Thus even death becomes one’s sister to be embraced, accepted and loved because through her we come into Jesus’ presence.
This takes away my words, it is much deeper than I am able to grasp, however it gives me a direction of how to pray, of how to treat others and creation, of how to find peace in facing the death of others and my own death.
May you find the peace of Jesus who is deep within you and join the Franciscan movement of praising God for each day discovering the great blessings of Jesus sharing humanity with us!
Happy St Francis Feast!!
God calls, We invite.
