St. Francis Day falls on the 4th of October so I thought I would repost this sonnet which reflects the way Francis responded to Christ’s call by casting away the rich trappings he had inherited and embracing holy poverty. As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button or the title
My sonnets for the Christian Year are available from Canterbury Press Here and on Kindle here
This sonnet for Francis is taken from my book The Singing Bowl, published by Canterbury Press. It is also available from Amazon UK Here, and USA Here and in Canada it is kept in stock by SignpostMusic
‘Francis, Rebuild My Church’; a sonnet for the Saint and for the new Pope
‘Francis rebuild my church which, as you seeIs falling into ruin.’ From the crossYour saviour spoke to you and speaks to usAgain through you. Undoing set you free,Loosened the traps of trappings, cast awayThe trammelling of all that costly clothWe wind our saviour in. At break of dayHe set aside his grave-clothes. Your new birthCame like a daybreak too, naked and trueTo poverty and to the gospel call,You woke to Christ and Christ awoke in youAnd set to work through all your love and skillTo make our ruin good, to bless and healTo wake the Christ in us and make us whole.
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Malcolm Guite 
Thanks, Malcom, for the Sonnet on St. Francis. October 4th is special for me; my mother’s birthday. Her name was Frances. Might I share with you a Sonnet? Given Francis’ love of the Cross, I penned a first draft of:
TO: THE CROSS
How fearful art Thou, just sticks united,
Or beams, even, embracing ogre-like
All earth’s folk, bringing fierce Death so blighted,
Terrifying them with sounds of the spike,
Hammered firm to flesh of limbs afrighted!
No wonder Jew and Greek say:”Take a hike!”
Yet without Thee, where shall we go, indeed?
For we are all flock of stern, “Grim Reaper”
Whose form ‘angelus’, leads us just deeper
Into the Pit. How then shall we be freed?
O Precious Cross, we shall then daily feed
On Thee, and so to Life be a leaper!
– With Christ my Lord I am thus crucified.
-So shall He raise me up new, sanctified.
Tony Hilling