Both here and in all your churches throughout the
whole world. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your [+] holy
cross you have redeemed the world. AMEN. (Franciscan prayer upon entering and leaving a holy place)
In the years following the death of Francis of Assisi in 1226, a number of stories began to circulate surrounding the life of this charismatic and unorthodox saint, much like the stories that were told about Jesus that eventually were transcribed and would become our gospels. In the study of religion, accounts of great deeds and miracles often blossom after the death of figures now seen as saints, a practice called hagiography.
But unlike the accounts of most saints, which are often written in dense theological language, the stories about Francis were sweet accounts of his dealings with lepers and poor people, his time in nature preaching to birds and the long journeys he made on foot overland to mountaintop places of refuge. These stories, a cross between devotionals and fairy tales, were bound together in a single volume called The Little Flowers of St. Francis. And today I want to focus on one of those stories.
A Small Town in an Uproar
Gubbio is a small market town 33 miles north of Assisi. When Francis left behind his life of relative luxury in the home of his merchant father, he spent some time trying to discern what G-d was calling him to do. Living among the poor and lepers, he made his way to Gubbio where the townspeople were moved by his plight and gave him shelter.
But Gubbio was in an uproar when Francis arrived there. According to the story,
“a large wolf appeared in the neighbourhood, so terrible and so fierce, that he not only devoured other animals, but made a prey of people as well; and since he often approached the town, all the people were in great alarm, and used to go about armed, as if going to battle. Notwithstanding these precautions, if any of the inhabitants ever met him alone, he was sure to be devoured, as all defense was useless: and, through fear of the wolf, they dared not go beyond the city walls.”
Colorado State University’s agricultural extension service website reports that
“[l]ike many large carnivores, wolves are generally afraid of humans and will avoid people, buildings, and roads if possible. The risk of wolves attacking or killing people is low.“
Wolves are pack animals so the fact this wolf was alone suggests he was lost or had been abandoned by his pack, perhaps because he was too old to keep up. A wolf who strays near a human village is probably hungry, looking for food. It’s unclear why his natural habitat no longer provided that but when animals are desperate, they do a lot of things they would not otherwise do. That includes us human animals. And no doubt the frightened responses from the inhabitants of Gubbio in turn terrified the starving wolf even more, making him appear, as the story suggests, “terrible and fierce.”
So here you have the scenario. A group of frightened people, who do not understand one they see as their enemy, and the wolf, the starving and terrified target of their fear. Both parties experiencing their encounter of the other in life or death terms.
An Unexpected Twist
But then something unexpected occurs. According to the story,
“St Francis, feeling great compassion for the people of Gubbio, resolved to go and meet the wolf, though all advised him not to do so. Making the sign of the holy cross, and putting all his confidence in God, he went forth from the city, taking his brethren with him; when they feared to go any further, St Francis continued on alone toward the spot where the wolf was known to be, while many people followed at a distance, and witnessed a miracle.”
The wolf, seeing all this multitude, ran towards St Francis with his jaws wide open. As he approached, Francis, making the sign of the cross, cried out: “Come hither, brother wolf; I command you, in the name of Christ, neither to harm me nor anybody else.” And no sooner had St Francis made the sign of the cross, than the wolf closed his jaws, stopped running, and came up to St Francis, laying down at his feet.
What happened next is almost comical. Francis scolds the wolf like a child saying
“Brother wolf, you have done much evil in this land, destroying and killing the creatures of God without his permission; yea, not animals only have you destroyed, but you have even dared to devour men, made in the image of God; for which crime you are worthy of being hanged like a robber and a murderer. All men cry out against you, dogs pursue you, and all the inhabitants of this city are your enemies; but I will make peace between them and you, O brother wolf, if you offend them no more, and they shall forgive you all your past offences, and neither men nor dogs shall pursue you any more.”
At this point, Francis strikes a deal between the wolf and the townspeople. He says to the wolf, “I promise you that you will be fed every day by the inhabitants of this land so long as you live among them; you will no longer suffer hunger, as it is hunger which has made you do so much evil; but if I obtain all this for you, you must promise, on your side, never again to attack any animal or any human being. Are you willing to make this promise?” At that point the wolf indicated his assent by placing his paw in the outstretched hand of Francis. And thereafter, the two became inseparable.
Context and Compassion
It’s important to note a couple of aspects of this story. First, Francis recognizes that this conflict has arisen in a context. The wolf isn’t evil. He didn’t just get up one morning and decide to harm this town. He was starving and his initial attempts to gain food had provoked attacks by the townspeople, terrifying him. On the other hand, the townspeople had no way of knowing this. They simply saw a dangerous beast.
Second, as was often the case, Francis acted in a manner that was contrary to social convention and common sense out of compassion for the frightened townspeople. His actions indicate he also has compassion for the wolf whom he addresses as brother. He recognizes that this, too, is a creature bearing the divine image that has not been respected.
So what might our world look like if we took this miraculous tale seriously. What if we actually considered conflicts in context, recognizing there are never any totally good guys, even us, perhaps especially us, and that no one is simply evil? What if we took seriously existential concerns like starvation and fears of attacks that drive so many destructive behaviors? What if our willingness to engage those we so readily presume to be the enemy was driven by compassion rather than fear, anger and the desire for revenge?
What if we recognized the futility of the notion that we can pound the peace out of others through lethal force? What might events in Gaza and Ukraine look like if they were engaged in context and compassion? Indeed, what might the electoral politics of our own country look like if we were able to see our fellow Americans in the light of their legitimate existential concerns? From what is essentially a fairy tale, I believe we would do well to consider the wisdom Francis of Assisi has to offer us this day.
A Valued Lesson, A Grateful Town
The story concludes like this:
The wolf lived two more years at Gubbio; he went
familiarly from door to door without harming anyone, and all the people
received him courteously, feeding him with great pleasure, and no dog barked at
him as he went about. At last, he died of old age, and the people of Gubbio
mourned his loss greatly…”
In downtown Gubbio, the visitor can find San Francesco
della Pace, St. Francis’ Church of the Peace. The church was built in the 1600s
above a cave containing a stone crypt such as those which house the remains of saints
which is often the custom in European churches.
In 1872, during renovations following an earthquake, workmen did discover the bones of a saint there. But these bones were not human. They were canine. According to local custom, this was where the Wolf of Gubbio had been given an honorable burial.
On the edge of today’s Gubbio is a park adjacent to a small parish church, Santa Maria della Vittorina, the church of the small victory. It is built on the site of the fateful encounter between Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio. Today a resident Franciscan brother tends the parish, feeding the feral cats who live in the park. Among the beautiful murals inside is a large bronze sculpture of a wolf.
Eight hundred years later the townspeople of Gubbio, who learned a valuable lesson from an unexpected engagement with one they saw as the enemy, still remember this encounter between a fierce wolf and a humble saint and continue to display their gratitude. Today, I pray we may be willing to learn that same lesson in our own time. AMEN.
Pace e Bene, Peace and All Good Things. (traditional Franciscan greeting)
A sermon
preached at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church, Winter Park, FL Sunday, October 6,
2024, the Feast of St. Francis (transposed) and the Blessing of the Animals.
You may watch the sermon as it was offered at this Youtube link starting at
18:15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTFtGZOZldA
Harry Coverston has been a professed member of the Third Order, Society Saint Francis since 1991. All images taken by Harry on the TSSF Pilgrimage to Assisi, April 2024.
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Harry Scott Coverston
Orlando, Florida
If the unexamined life is not worth living, surely an unexamined belief system, be it religious or political, is not worth holding. Most things worth considering do not come in sound bites.
Those who believe religion and politics aren't connected don't understand either. – Mahatma Gandhi
For what does G-d require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your G-d? - Micah 6:8, Hebrew Scriptures
Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. - Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Wisdom of the Jewish Sages (1993)
© Harry Coverston, 2024
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