Before I begin with some thoughts I wanted to throw before you I wanted to be sure to point out the fine picture to the left. That's your man himself rowing a boat on a fine summer's day. Yes, no need to tell me I already know that there's a fine healthy brain just churning with thought below the fashionable hat atop the lad's head.
Well, enough said on that.
Well, I decided to share with you all just a few more of my thoughts on the subject of dear old Saint Francis and of religion in general. I hope no of you will take offense.
Some time ago I heard it said that there is a difference between a person's religion and his or her faith. As I recall the telling of it, the traditional way and place where a person might find himself worshiping is dictated by their "religion". The way in which that same person conducts their everyday affairs dictates their actual "faith".
Now, take your man Saint Francis for instance. He was a true enough member of the Roman Catholic church as was just about everyone else in Italy during his day. Correct? Sure enough you can't disagree with me on that point, can you now? But...and here's my point so please pay attention...he lived his life so differently than did the other Catholics of his time that he was considered a "radical" and somewhat of a "rebel" for his time! To hear tell of it the Pope himself didn't quite know what to make of Francis and his "strange new ways". From what I've been reading and from what I learned while on my visit to Assisi, Francis was often quite at odds with the established meaning of what it meant to be a "good Catholic" at that time in history.
He never left mother church mind you. He always remained a Catholic but he lived his life...his FAITH mind you...according to what he truly and personally believed to be the way in which God wanted him to live.
OK, am I boring you yet? Bare with me folks I'm getting to my point.
Jesus himself was, by birth, born into the tribe of David. His religion was Jewish. Ah but, like Francis himself Jesus followed a different drummer so to speak, didn't he now? Jesus's faith was a wee bit different than that of many of his fellow Jews of that time. He too followed a very personal faith life BUT continued to worship in the temple as a member of the Jewish religion.
I don't know if I'm making any sense to any of you out there but this matter has me thinking a bit more about my own faith and my own religious traditions. Sure I'm a Catholic like many a man around here. I'm not about to go out and become a Mormon an Anglican or one of those Hari Krishna people who dance around at the airports and bus stations. I have nothing against any man or woman of another faith mind you. Don't be misunderstanding me now. I just mean that I'm a Catholic by birth, by tradition and, I guess continuous choice. That's my "religion". My faith though, well that's another matter (almost) entirely now, isn't it?
God help us all be better people.
Anyway...just a thought I wanted to share with the rest of you good folks out there in the rest of the world.
On another note...you still have a few more days to vote in my one-of-a-kind poll!
So far there has been two voters, God bless'em! I know I'm one, and I'm highly suspicious that my wife cast the other vote. As for the third voter, well, I don't know who it was BUT whoever took the time to cast that ballot, thanks!
Alright now, I'll be off for the night.
Tomorrow I'll try to focus on less heady matters. Maybe we can commiserate on the price of tea in China or the cost of petrol or some such thing. I was going to share my opinions with you on why the Pope was a Nazi but, well, lets let bygones be bygones, shall we?
Best to you now...I'm off!
As always!
Slainte!