So much attention is focused on Christmas that we might give short shrift to the Feast of the Epiphany. For many, it serves as a signal that it’s time to put down the Christmas tree. A certain seasonal exhaustion can take hold.
But some celebrate with gusto. Many Latinos mark the feast of the Three Kings as a special day to mark with gift-giving and processions. The day, traditionally celebrated on Jan. 6, marks a theological insight that God Incarnate comes not just to a select group but to the entire world, represented by the Magi. The infant Messiah appeals to all who seek Him out.
It’s a belief that was lived out in the life of Francis of Assisi.
In his book The Saint and the Sultan (Doubleday, 2009), journalist Paul Moses describes the epic meeting between Francis and the Sultan of Egypt, Malik al-Kamil. In the middle of the 13th-century Fifth Crusade, Francis, accompanied by another friar, walked to the Sultan’s encampment claiming to be an emissary of the Lord. They strode right into enemy territory.
In a historic encounter, Francis and his companion were greeted in peace, and he was allowed by the Sultan to preach to the Muslim soldiers. History records that the meeting did not win many converts, yet it remains celebrated as a bold proclamation of the Gospel and an act of loving one’s enemies.
The Three Kings and Francis provide examples of making ourselves channels of peace and evangelization.
Friars and their companions are still promoting a universal message of peace and brotherhood, ministering to the afflicted as well as the comfortable, no matter where they might be.
Peacemaking remains a lonely task. Francis was ultimately unable to contain the brutality of the Crusades. Yet today’s followers of Francis of Assisi look to his example as a glimmer of hope, a light that beckons, much like that sought out by the Magi.
You can be a light to the world by creating a lasting legacy of care by remembering the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in your will or trust.
Planned Giving to the Franciscans allows you to make a charitable contribution as part of your overall financial and estate planning. You can do this in a variety of ways, including bequests, charitable trusts, life insurance policies, and retirement accounts.
To learn more about how you can help the Franciscan Friars with your legacy gift, contact Brian Smail, OFM, via email at bsmail@friars.us or by calling 646-473-0265, ext. 303.
