After St. Francis became a follower of Christ, his goal became to fix the church which no longer continued the mission of spreading the message of Jesus through service to others.
This is all he owned–a robe that he continuously patched. This was all he needed to do the work of God. No seminary degree, no ordination, no money. He simply put his love for God and others into action.
It was not his goal to be popular, powerful, wealthy, safe, or secure. It was his goal to be the hands and feet of Christ.
On this his feast day, I pray our goals will be as sharp and determined. It is then we will know true joy.
You can learn more about St. Francis and the Christian Life through my book of the same name.
— Rev. Dr. April Love-Fordham
Disorderly Parables 
Much/most expressions of Christianity has been filled with complicated theologies and numerous traditions
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It’s ironic that the feast day of St Francis has been created as a tradition, different from following the example he set as the way to live as a Christian.
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As far as I know it’s only in the US that pet blessings are done. They aren’t done in Assisi. In Assisi magistrates across the country gather in Assisi to sign a pledge to live in peace that St Francis negotiated between land owners and the poor.
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