St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
February 2026
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
May the Lord grant you peace!
In the Spring of 1207, while in the woods of Monte Subasio, Saint Francis was accosted by several thieves. They asked Francis who he was and he replied simply, I am the herald of the great King! We know the story: they stripped him of his tunic, threw him into a ditch, and went away amused at the self-aggrandizing words of this “lunatic”. Francis was untroubled at the harsh treatment given him. Our Seraphic Father truly an example for all his children-to-be got up and cheerfully continued his way. Eccentric to say the least! … but truly in love with God and life so that even harsh treatment could not destroy the inner peace and joy he was discovering more deeply every day.
His response to the brigands was based on a profound conviction that the Lord had spoken to him from the Cross of San Damiano charging him to rebuild my Church, for as you can see it is falling into ruin. St. Francis understood these words literally. His “job” was to rebuild churches. He was the divinely-appointed ecclesiastical architect and general contractor. Actually, it is not far-fetched to give him these titles. The day would come when he would be the “architect” of a whole new way of life and build the Family of the Penitents of Assisi with the lives and love of those “living stones”, who eventually would follow the example of the Poverello of Assisi. The Providence of God would take care of his needs. The good people of Assisi and so many others would be the all-providing hand of God for this young “penitent” who had embraced his fears, kissed the leper, and given all that possessed him back to the world. He threw himself with abandon into the loving arms of his Father in heaven.
St. Francis was a “man on a mission”, a mission yet to be defined, but one that he did not hesitate to begin, leaving all the specifics up to God. How wonderful our lives would be if only we would be that trusting of God! We trust human beings, erratic as they or we can be, and yet we find difficulty trusting God, Whose love is everlasting! (Psalm 136). Go figure! The work of rebuilding churches with the sweat of his brow and strength of his own limbs caught the attention of many, especially the elite of Assisi society. Francis, as they, was accustomed to be catered to in his whims, though there was a tender spot in his heart for those less fortunate on the lower rung of the social ladder.
Whatever the reason, it seemed he captured the attention of everyone. All were aware of Francis. He had caused excitement and consternation among the populace of Assisi. True leadership seems to demand a definite response: yes or no, accept or reject, adhere or detach, follow or leave. Any who encountered Francis Bernardone, and knew of his previous life as the fair-haired-son of the self-made wealthy merchant, could not remain indifferent to the transformation before them.
Except for the presence and support of an unknown friend, St. Francis was relatively alone in the first years of his new life. No doubt there were many questions and personal difficulties he would have to overcome. He struggled with the “demons” within and the difficulties without, as any of us do during a lifetime. With the help of divine grace, he sought to become the new wine and new wineskin (Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22, Luke 5:33-39). He did not seek to establish a new Order in the Church, but to establish order in his life. His cheerful character and determination, his acceptance of voluntary poverty to avoid the entanglements that our possessions so often cause us, his deep love and concern for the “refuse” of society numbering himself among them, were only a few of the characteristics of this “new person” Francis was becoming more decisively each day. And these all served as “magnets” that attracted so many in those first few years to follow his example. They too would eventually become “heralds of the great King”.
Emphasizing the word “herald” is important. Heralds were trusted people charged with a given mission. They spoke in the name of the other. They did not wield the authority. They did however yield to the authority of God’s Word. They spoke in the name of One whose words were to be repeated verbatim, and to Whose Word they were to be conformed.
Jesus Himself speaks of the attitude of His “heralds”. He tells us not to worry when we are questioned regarding the >Good News= we are commissioned to proclaim to the world. Speaking in the name of Jesus and witnessing our allegiance to Him, Jesus tells us: Do not be afraid of what you are to say or how you are to say, the Spirit of my Father will be speaking in you (Matthew 10: 19). Because the heralds were trusted people entrusted with the words of their master, an integrity and credibility were bestowed upon the herald by the mere fact of the office they fulfilled and by the one whom they were delegated to represent, and in whose name, they delivered their message. A herald spoke from a source beyond himself. He spoke with certainty. Thus, the herald spoke with unquestionable authority. In this sense, St. Francis was a true herald. He proclaimed the words of the Master and lived them.
In the First Life of St. Francis written by Blessed Thomas of Celano, we read that in winter (February) of 1209: Francis went to another place, which is called the Portiuncula … When on a certain day the Gospel was read in that church, how the Lord sent his disciples out to preach, the holy man of God, assisting there, understood somewhat the words of the Gospel; after Mass he humbly asked the priest to explain the Gospel to him more fully … Francis, hearing that the disciples of Christ should not possess gold or silver or money; nor carry along the way scrip, or wallet, or bread, or a staff; that they should not have shoes, or two tunics; but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, immediately cried out exultingly: This is what I wish, this is what I seek, this is what I long to do with all my heart. The holy father, overflowing with joy, hastened to implement the words of salvation, and did not delay before he devoutly began to put into effect what he heard. … For he was no deaf hearer of the gospel … He then began to preach penance to all with a fervent spirit and joyful attitude … His word like a blazing fire, reaching the deepest parts of the heart and filling the souls of all with wonder… In all his preaching, before he presented the word of God to the assembly, he prayed for peace saying, May the Lord give you peace … Many who hated peace, with the Lord’s help wholeheartedly embraced peace. They became children of peace. (1 Celano, 21-24)
God=s word was no idle spiritual devotion for Francis. It was the guiding factor in his life. As God spoke, so Francis sought to do. When our Seraphic Father heard the words of the Gospel on that grace-filled day, his concerns and questions were answered. It seemed as though God Himself were saying to Francis: ‘Abandon worries and concern for tomorrow in the hands of the One Who provides for every moment and without Whom nothing can be. Trust. Do not be afraid=. He preached this profound message to others more by actions than by words. His simplicity and childlike trust in the Providence of God attracted others to follow his example.
Friars and Sisters who lived in formal religious houses and monasteries gave a powerful witness of total detachment. There were also men and women, our brothers and sisters, who could not leave their families and/or responsibilities in society. They deeply desired and sought to live this powerful witness to the gospel life in their daily secular experiences. They became the yeast kneaded into the dough, the light placed on a candelabra (Matthew 13:33).
The Gospel is a call offered to everyone willing to listen and to follow. The more we faithfully listen to the Word within, the better we are empowered to respond to a world that surrounds us. Give priority to God and trust in His all-providing and all-loving Presence, and life will be fulfilled beyond your desires. The famous statement of St. Iraeneus: The glory of God is the human being fully realized. Is a powerful and encouraging reminder of grace that builds on nature. Conformed to the Person of Christ is the ultimate realization for a Christian who in, with, and through Him (Doxology after Eucharistic Prayer) lets go of everything and lets God “take over”.
As spiritual children of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi, let us remember the power the Word of God exercised in his life and that should exercise in our own. St. Francis expected the Rule, Testament, and the life of the Gospel as origin and consequence to be lived “without gloss”. Let us read the Word and listen to It with our heart. When necessary, ask clarifications, as St. Francis did, to enlighten you that you may better understand what the Lord is saying to you through His Word.
St. Francis is that man with a disarmed heart, as he was called by the Sicilian Bishops several decades ago. Stand disarmed before human beings and disarmed before God and His Eternal Word. Francis wanted the brothers to live not only the Rule and Testament but also the Gospels without gloss. “Gloss” only mitigates and/or even changes the meaning as it is written by the author. Following our Seraphic Father’s example, let us always have an open and disarmed heart to the challenges God’s Word may offer us. As Heralds of the Great King, we proclaim His Word. Let the words of the Divine Word Incarnate enter your heart as He speaks to each of you personally. Matthew reminds us so powerfully in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 5: 3-12). He reminds us: Do not be afraid. It is I (John 6: 20).
If only we realized the beauty of our Franciscan Vocation and the heights of holiness we could achieve following the example of St. Francis of Assisi! We would be able to eradicate from our lives and fraternities all that does not speak of Franciscan humility and charity. This is not “pie-in-the-sky” religiosity. Our Franciscan charism offers us the foundation for a life worth loving and living. Love must come first if we are ever to really live. Love of who we are must come first. The Church in Her leadership has always praised our Franciscan spirit and encouraged the sisters and brothers to live it fully. For this to be effective in our lives, remember the words of St. Francis that tell us how to live the life we accepted “without gloss”.
Let us let the Word take hold of our lives. Whatever God says to us in His most holy Word, let us say with Saint Francis: that is what I want with all my heart. Let the hope, trust and optimism that has its source in the Lord Himself (cfr. Romans 15: 13) overflow into the lives of all whom we encounter and to whom we minister.
May God bless you; may Our Lady and good St. Joseph guide, guard, and protect you; and may our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare look over each one of you, his spiritual children, and your loved ones with loving care.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Happy Lent 2026
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