Today, we offer a poem about St Francis of Assisi - whose feast day was in October - and another inspired by Psalm 131, a sacred song used at Whirlow this week.
Poetry is crafted of words but is also an escape from the constraints of everyday communication - like a window through language; for many, it opens up a pathway to the spiritual. If this appeals, you might want to sign up for a poem a day here.
Adrian Scott’s poem is a meditation on aspects of St Francis’ life. Margaret Rizza’s versions of the Psalm, similarly, commends the values of humility and vulnerability.
In 1219, St Francis walked with another Brother, Illuminatus, to Egypt - following the Crusader trail to the Holy Land. He arrived in Damietta when Crusaders were trying to take the city and was horrified at this Church-sponsored violence.
He crossed no-man’s land to gain an audience with Muslim ruler Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. His Cardinal considered it a suicide mission; they were brutal times and Francis risked everything. Whatever was said, the Sultan afterwards allowed Francis to visit all Holy Sites of Palestine. Franciscans are custodians of many, even today.
Francis returned from this trip unwell. Exhausted, he had witnessed bloodshed and violence, and - he believed - failed to bring peace or convert anyone. He was impressed by the Moors, who prayed five times a day, and was being edged out of leadership at home. A mental health crisis ensued and he sought remedy in retreat, where he accessed deep vulnerability and humility - virtues much needed personally and globally.
Francis’ celebrated love for and harmony with all creatures was possible because he descended from the social status he was born into; he chose to see the world from a minority point of view.
Margaret Rizza’s translation or version of Psalm 131 relates (like much if not all poetry) to a love-affair with silence, itself a pathway to humility and vulnerability.
