Â
Â
Did Pope Francis choose his name to remind all persons to  act more like St. Francis of Assisi? Live more simply?  Respect God’s critters as gifts from God?  Possibly.
St. Francis of Assisi gets remembered and celebrated  here in Aptos, CA.   #aptosia
A  St Francis of Assisi Blessing of the Animals  on Sunday,  October 2, 2016.  Held at St. John’s in Aptos, CA.
Bring children!  Bring pets!  Cone all!  All are welcome to come to a Feast at Five family Eucharist  followed by a  potluck afterwards. That’s at 5 PM this Sunday, Oct 3.    Barbaecue  provided afterwards.  Bring your pets appropriately contained or constrained.  Please bring  a side dish to share and —  very welcome — bring  sealed bags of dog/ cat food  which go to an animal shelter.
 A little info about the historical St. Francis of Assisi:
St Francis (1882 – 1226) brought fresh air to the catholic church.  Told by the Pope  to get his Brothers organized with Rules the ones he proposed  were deemed too difficult  to follow.  How could an order not own anything?
St. Francis’s original Rule is lost. Â These are the verses that the rules sought to follow:
- Matthew 19:21: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.“
- Matthew 16:24: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
- Mathew 19:29: “And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/blog/index.cfm?id=158
