10/03/2026
Good morning, everyone!
This year, since St. Francis of Assisi's feast day falls on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary time, I figured we'll celebrate him a day early, and do so by sharing a really fascinating story of how he befriended the wolf of Gubbio.
In the traditional account preserved in "the Little Flowers", the people of Gubbio were terrified of a wolf that attacked both people and animals. St. Francis went out to meet this wolf, trusting in God to protect him. When the wolf charged toward him, St. Francis made the Sign of the Cross and called, "Come hither, brother wolf", commanding it in the name of Christ to harm no one. The wolf then stopped, closed it's jaws, and lay at his feet, "meekly as a lamb".
St. Francis told it, “I will make peace between them and thee,” promising, “thou shalt no longer suffer hunger.” The agreement required that the wolf to stopped attacking others and the townspeople to ensure it was “fed every day.” The wolf placed its paw in St. Francis’s hand as a pledge.
For two years it lived peacefully among them, welcomed from door to door. When it died, the people mourned the animal they had once feared, remembering Francis’s holiness through its gentle presence; a presence very much in contrast from the wolf St. Francis and the townspeople first encountered.
What we can learn here, is that Christ’s peace calls for both mercy and responsibility: harm must cease, and compassion must become practical care. The story encourages us to seek reconciliation and recognize suffering even in those we fear, but also to lean on and trust in God to protect us from physical harm and spiritual harm alike. This also demonstrates the great change from within God's grace imparts on us, transforming us from beasts with hearts of stone, to warmly welcomed companions with gentleness, and mercy.
After all, when we encounter Angels in the Bible, they always remind us, "Be not afraid!".
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
