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As many of you know, my family spent this past summer relocating from Essex, Connecticut to Seattle. We were returning home as we had moved from Seattle to Connecticut only four years ago. It is truly wonderful to be back for so many reasons. But I want to talk about the nightmare of moving a family of four, plus one grandparent, one large dog, and a mid-sized lizard more than 3,000 miles. It was a lot.
We spent weeks going through our house, packing endless boxes, and readying for the move. We donated carloads to a local thrift store charity. We sold a number of items on Facebook Marketplace. We gave things to our friends and neighbors and still…we ended up moving thousands and thousands of pounds of stuff. When the moving van pulled away that last day in Connecticut, I remember looking around our beautiful, empty house.
We were left with four small suitcases, a cooler full of snacks, several backpacks, a dog bed, a couple of towels, four humans, one large dog, and a Subaru Outback. Despite all of the planning and preparation, the culling of our belongings, and narrowing down the road trip items to the bare essentials, it still felt like so much stuff.
We set out on our 11-day cross country journey with a car crammed full. The road trip was long and boring, hot and crowded, at times stressful and occasionally joyful. In retrospect, we agree that it was a good experience, and we never want to do again. We also concur that for our dog, Molly Moon, it was the BEST 11 days of her life.
Think about it. Dogs don’t care about stuff. All they need is a little dog food, water, and attention. Molly walked out of the only house she had ever known wearing only a collar with her name on it. She ran to jump in the car because her people were in it. And she repeated that over nearly 4,000 miles and many days, happy as could be, because she had the people she loves with her. We can learn a lot from our pets.
We can also learn a lot from St. Francis whom we remember this day. Francis was born in the late 12th century in the Italian hill town of Assisi. He lived only 44 years, but leaves behind an incredibly powerful legacy. Today’s gospel reading from Luke, often referred to as the Parable of the Rich Fool, is chosen specifically for the observation of the feast of St. Francis because of its theme: simplicity and detachment from materialism.
Francis renounced the wealth of his family of origin and chose a life of poverty. In this sermon, I am NOT saying that we should donate everything we have to the church and begin sleeping in the courtyard as ascetics. And I am saying that we ought to reassess our relationship with material possessions, focusing on needs rather than wants, and finding joy in simplicity.
Francis is most commonly remembered for his love of nature and animals. That is why we have invited people to bring their pets to the 11 am service to be blessed today. *In observation of this feast, I brought my dog, Molly, and our lizard, Toothless, and my family is babysitting the Balducci’s snake in the pews. You’re welcome, Zach.
You might still be wondering why churches embrace Francis and go so far as to invite people to bring their pets to church on this day. It’s a good question. We don’t commemorate St. Simeon Stylites the Elder by imitating his unusual practice of sitting atop a pillar for months at a time. We don’t imitate St. Catherine of Siena with severe fasting or eating only bitter herbs in addition to the communion wafer. But, for some reason, we have an affinity for St. Francis and remember him annually.
Francis’s lasting attributes which we do want to emulate include his desire for simplicity, non-attachment to worldly goods, humility, a profound love of God, and respect for nature, especially our relationships with our pets. Francis reminds us that we are part of creation, not over creation. We are co-creators with God.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem in today’s reading when someone in the crowd says, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” Jesus responds first in saying, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then, he told them a parable….
The rich fool in Jesus’ parable is not foolish because he has wealth. He is foolish because he allows his wealth to control him. He is enslaved to his possessions, building bigger barns and pretending life is a race to acquire the most goods instead of an opportunity to love God and serve his neighbor.
My dog reminds me of these things. She doesn’t care what she has or doesn’t have. Molly Moon is my shadow at home or at work. She follows me around, lurking in doorways and sleeping at my feet. Molly Moon teaches me about the love God has for me in her unconditional acceptance and devotion. She loves me because I love her and she absolutely does not care how much stuff we have or where we live. She just wants to be with her people. I imagine a lot of you have a similar relationship with your cat, gerbil, or reptile.
In the spirit of St. Francis, this day serves as a reminder that we should focus on the things that are eternal – love, compassion, generosity, and our relationship with God.
Ask yourself this question: Are my possessions owning me or am I owning my possessions? If your possessions are owning you, driving your decisions, causing harm to the relationships in your life, or getting in the way of your relationship with God, perhaps it is time to let them go. As we reflect on the teachings of St. Francis and the parable of the rich fool, let us remember that our true wealth lies not in our possessions, but in our relationships – with God, with each other, and with all of creation. Like Molly Moon, who found joy simply in being with her loved ones during our cross-country move, we too can find contentment in simplicity and love.
This week, I challenge each of you to examine your relationship with your possessions. Are they serving you, or are you serving them? Let us strive to live more like St. Francis, embracing simplicity, showing compassion to all creatures, and focusing on what truly matters. In doing so, we may find ourselves not only lighter in possessions but richer in spirit.