By
A few nights ago, I attended an impressionable speaking event at our neighborhood Eastwest Bookshop. The speaker was a former Carmelite monastic nun for ten years and had written a book titled Love Calls. She was “playful and provocative” and resembled Sally Field in her looks and mannerisms. (Remember Sally in “The Flying Nun?”) Kimberly Braun was the author’s name and she was a supreme storyteller.
She brought many happy memories of my childhood back to life as I listened attentively to every word. You see, when I was younger, I always thought I would be a nun. When Ms. Braun spoke of her habit or “nun uniform” and shaving her head, I vividly recalled being in second grade at St. Francis elementary school when one of the recalcitrant boys in our class stepped on the long black trailing veil of Sister Cyrenus. Her entire “head piece” came tumbling down exposing the embarrassed and angry nun’s shaved head.
We had heard rumors in our classroom that morning about nuns shaving their heads. My curious classmate found a way to get the answer without asking the question. I couldn’t imagine shaving all my naturally curly hair, and thus, the first doubt arose about actually becoming a nun. The clincher came when I realized I wouldn’t be able to wear lipstick! (Now I sell it!) But getting back to Ms. Braun. She quoted St. Francis and that took me back down memory lane to my years “with” St. Francis.
My dad went to St. Francis school for all 12 years. He and my mother were married at St. Francis church. I was baptized, had my first holy communion, and had my confirmation at St. Francis church. I went to St. Francis elementary school until I was ten and we moved away. My grandmother and my uncle worked at the school. I had three other Deering cousins in my class with me and we all went to mass everyday before school. I had a true affinity and love for St. Francis. This blog includes my “St. Francis timeline.”
In 1972 movie (yikes – the year I graduated from high school) the epic motion picture Brother Sun and Sister Moon debuted. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and is a dramatization of the events in the life of St. Francis of Assisi (his official name) from before his conversion experience and including his friendship with St. Clare. I loved the film and saw it several times. I still highly recommend it.
When I was 21 and managing our travel agency on Kauai, I was offered a free trip to Italy that included a visit to Assisi, the home of St. Francis. I was enraptured with Assisi. I felt as though I was communing with the mystics and had a foot in heaven. The town was enchanting and the energy was electric. I purchased a ceramic plaque as a memento that is pictured below. I realize now that it is 44 years old and that it is almost an antique!
When Dr. Wayne Dyer was alive he was a mentor of mine. I listened to all his tapes, read all his books, and watched all his PBS television specials. He proclaimed one of the miracles of his lifetime happened in the town of Assisi. He escorted a group there to honor St. Francis. He was able to carry a large man on his back up a narrow staircase to the top of the chapel. The gentleman would not be able to manage it due to his disability. Wayne tells the story of how it was a spontaneous decision to help the man in distress. He had forgotten about his own bad knees, after decades of too much tennis, and assisted the man. Dr. Dyer says his knees never troubled him again.
Most non-Catholics who are unfamiliar with St. Francis, who was one of the most venerated religious figures in history, know of him as a garden statue. The Catholic St. Francis was known for his compassion, not only for people, but for animals as well. So…like so many other folks, St. Francis resided in my backyard, in statue form, for many years. The word catholic (with a small “c”) means universal. Now days I am a catholic as opposed to a Catholic, but I still sanctify Francis.
The Prayer of St. Francis is my favorite prayer. I know it by heart. It almost broke my heart then I was asked to recite it at my nephew’s Celebration of Life service a few years ago. Here it is:
A few days ago, I a took a break from working on this blog and I purchased a new koi for our koi pond. Of course I didn’t know what it’s gender was, but it still needed a name. While walking in my lovely neighborhood, I was pondering what to name my new fish. All of sudden it dawned on me – duhhhhh – I could name my fish Francis. Francis the Fish. I looked up from my reverie and noticed the street sign. The name of the street was Francis.
The name was even more apropos as I have nicknamed my partner, St. Francis. He feeds the birds, the squirrels, and the fish. And he built the koi pond that we endearingly call “Ponderosa.”
So…St. Francis who was born in 1182, has touched my life for 60 years. Just imagine how many lives he has impacted!
Below are a few of my favorite St. Francis quotes. Many people even attribute the Serenity Prayer to him.
