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
November 2026
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis
May the Lord grant us His peace.
The phrase “Buon giorno, buona gente,” meaning “Good morning, good people,” is traditionally associated with St. Francis of Assisi and his visit to Poggio Bustone in the Rieti Valley during the summer of 1208. According to Franciscan tradition, after leaving Assisi, Francis sought refuge in this mountain village, where he greeted the inhabitants with these simple yet meaningful words. Some versions of the greeting use “Buongiorno, brava gente,” expressing a similar spirit of warmth and goodwill. The story, recorded in the writings of the seventeenth-century Franciscan scholar Luca Wadding, became an enduring symbol of Francis’s humility, compassion, and welcoming spirit. In Poggio Bustone, the tradition is commemorated by a Gothic arch known as “Buon giorno” and by a preserved room in the oldest part of the Franciscan monastery where Francis is believed to have stayed. More than a historical anecdote, the greeting has become a living expression of Franciscan spirituality, reminding us that fraternity, kindness, and solidarity begin with how we encounter one another.
The deeper significance of Francis’s greeting lies in the attitude it expresses toward human life. Francis is remembered as a man with a disarmed heart, someone who sought goodness, kindness, and love even when these qualities appeared hidden or absent. His greeting was not merely a polite exchange but an affirmation that every person possesses dignity and deserves respect. In a world marked by social divisions, economic inequality, political conflict, and religious tensions, Francis demonstrated the possibility of encountering others without allowing fear, prejudice, wealth, poverty, or social status to determine their worth. His spirituality encouraged people to look beyond outward appearances and discover the sacredness of life in all its forms. The greeting reminds us that goodness remains possible in difficult circumstances, hope can be offered amid uncertainty, and human dignity endures even when society fails to recognize it.
This message challenges us to examine how we approach people in our daily lives. Do we welcome others with openness, or do we allow suspicion and judgment to shape our responses? Do we recognize their dignity, or do we measure their worth according to achievements, failures, usefulness, or social position? Francis’s example invites us to meet people with compassion, even when life is difficult. It encourages us to bring peace into troubled situations, offer encouragement in moments of discouragement, and respond with kindness where indifference has become commonplace. This does not mean ignoring wrongdoing or pretending that everyone behaves well. Rather, it means distinguishing between a person’s inherent dignity and their actions. We can oppose injustice without denying another person’s humanity, acknowledge disagreements without allowing hatred to dominate our relationships, and recognize weaknesses while remaining open to the possibility of change.
In contemporary society, people are frequently reduced to labels such as rich or poor, successful or unsuccessful, powerful or powerless. Social media encourages quick judgments, while political, cultural, and religious differences often prevent genuine listening. Too frequently, we encounter an opinion before we encounter the person expressing it. The Franciscan greeting proposes a different approach: listen before responding, seek understanding before judging, and remember that every individual carries a story we may not fully know. Behind anger there may be pain, behind apparent indifference there may be exhaustion, and behind failure there may be years of struggle invisible to others. Welcoming another person means creating space for understanding and relationship. This can begin with ordinary gestures: greeting a colleague warmly, listening patiently to an elderly person, treating service workers respectfully, welcoming someone who feels excluded, or refusing to participate in gossip. Such actions may seem insignificant, but they gradually shape the atmosphere of our homes, workplaces, parishes, and communities. Goodness often begins with acknowledging another person’s presence and communicating that their life matters.
The greeting also represents a greeting beyond circumstance because its meaning becomes most powerful when kindness is difficult. It is easy to wish others a good day when our lives are peaceful and our plans are succeeding. It is more challenging when we experience disappointment, grief, uncertainty, or personal hardship. Authentic spirituality does not deny suffering or require us to pretend that everything is well. Instead, it teaches us that pain need not extinguish our compassion, hope, or capacity to love.
Francis’s own spiritual journey illustrates this transformation. He gradually turned away from the pursuit of wealth, status, and material privilege, embracing poverty, fraternity, and service. His encounter with people affected by leprosy became an important turning point, challenging the fear and aversion that had previously influenced his response to them. Through such experiences, Francis discovered that spiritual growth often begins when we allow another person’s suffering to challenge our assumptions. Compassion becomes more than a feeling; it becomes a decision to remain present to those whose circumstances are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
His “greeting beyond circumstance” expresses an inner freedom that allows us to choose our responses rather than be controlled entirely by our emotions or disappointments. Someone may offend us, yet we can refuse to respond cruelly. We may experience hardship, yet remain generous in whatever ways are possible. We may feel uncertain about the future, yet offer encouragement to another person. This does not mean tolerating abuse, ignoring personal needs, or abandoning healthy boundaries. Sometimes compassion requires speaking firmly, seeking justice, or distancing ourselves from harmful situations. What matters is responding without allowing bitterness and hostility to become the foundation of our lives. Circumstances may influence our feelings, but they need not determine the people we become.
The simplicity of “Buon giorno, buona gente” also reflects the central values of Franciscan spirituality. Francis’s love of poverty and humility was not simply a rejection of possessions but an effort to free himself from the power of prestige, ambition, and material security. His example challenges a society that often measures human worth through appearance, productivity, possessions, and achievement. A person’s dignity cannot be calculated by income, education, professional position, or public recognition. A warm greeting offered to someone without influence may express more genuine humanity than elaborate courtesy shown to someone powerful. Listening to a lonely neighbor may be more meaningful than making a public display of generosity, while quiet service without seeking praise can reveal authentic humility. By approaching others without needing to establish superiority, we become more willing to learn, apologize, acknowledge our limitations, and accept help.
Francis’s greeting also expresses his commitment to peace. Peace begins not only through international agreements or the resolution of major conflicts but also through everyday conversations and relationships. Our words can create connection or deepen division. A harsh remark can turn a misunderstanding into lasting conflict, while a compassionate response can interrupt hostility and open the possibility of reconciliation. We do not need to share another person’s religion, political beliefs, or cultural background to recognize their dignity. Respect does not require uniformity, and peace does not require pretending that disagreements do not exist. It requires the willingness to disagree without dehumanizing, speak honestly without humiliating, and seek understanding without abandoning our convictions. Even when forgiveness is difficult or reconciliation is neither possible nor safe, we can strive to prevent another person’s wrongdoing from defining our entire inner lives.
Franciscan spirituality invites us to recognize God’s presence in ordinary life. Francis’s love of creation, concern for the poor, and reverence for simplicity reveal spirituality rooted in gratitude and attentiveness. Each day offers opportunities that we may overlook: the presence of family and friends, the kindness of strangers, the beauty of nature, the chance to begin again after failure, and the possibility of making someone’s burden lighter. Gratitude does not mean pretending that every day is good or ignoring suffering and injustice. It means remaining attentive to signs of care, solidarity, and resilience, even amid uncertainty. Prayer, in this understanding, extends beyond words spoken in church or moments of private devotion. It shapes how we work, care for others, respond to difficulties, and use our resources. A sincere greeting can become a small prayer for another person, expressing the hope that they will experience dignity, peace, and the assurance that they are not invisible.
Ultimately, “Buon giorno, buona gente” invites us to become instruments of hope in our own circumstances. We may not be able to resolve every social problem or eliminate every form of suffering, but we can influence the lives of those we encounter. We can welcome people who feel excluded, defend those whose dignity is threatened, assist those experiencing hardship, and encourage those who have lost confidence. We can also examine our own impatience, prejudice, and indifference, recognizing how these habits prevent us from responding compassionately. Becoming a source of hope does not require constant cheerfulness or unlimited availability; it requires a sincere willingness to grow in attentiveness, generosity, truthfulness, and compassion.
The enduring message of St. Francis’s greeting is that goodness remains possible in a troubled world. It calls us to recognize dignity before status, relationship before judgment, and service before self-importance. Its true significance lies not simply in repeating the words but in allowing their meaning to shape our lives. May the spirit associated with St. Francis teach us to welcome not only those we love but also strangers, people we misunderstand, and those whose circumstances differ from our own. May we offer kindness without calculation, pursue peace without indifference, and sustain hope without denying reality. When we sincerely wish one another a good day, we do more than exchange a pleasant greeting. We affirm the dignity of the person before us, acknowledge the possibility of goodness, and begin our own small contribution to making the world a more compassionate, peaceful, and welcoming place.
“Buon giorno, buona gente” – good day, good people. May this greeting become not merely something we say, but a way of seeing, loving, and living.
Happy Thanksgiving 2026
Be grateful.
Thank God always, in all ways, for everything.
Thank you God that: I am who I am and nothing more and nothing less.
Thank You for creating me.
Blessings of Peace and All Good
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Leave a Reply