tells the story of the last hours of Francis’ life.

interprets the facts of the narrative.

the voice of St. Francis,
is the principal celebrant or Leader.

reads the Scripture passages.

signifies both “friends” and “superior.”

everyone present at the Ceremony.

most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
here and in all your churches
throughout the world,
and we bless you
because by your holy cross
you have redeemed the world.

O Lord make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

OPENING HYMN:

He was found perfect and virtuous and through him a remnant
was preserved in time of wrath.

Psalm 1

They who choose to lead a meaningful life,†
accept no signals from the indifferent,*
they do not conform to the crowd,
express no prejudices, nor do they*
take satisfaction from the failure of others.

Their ultimate concern is God’s will,*
their daily decisions follow his law.

Such a life may be likened *
to a sturdy tree, planted in rich loam,
that yields fruit in due season.*
Such a soul brings blessings to others.

Not so for those who live without God,*
they are like chaff the wind sweeps away,
or, leaves scattered by an autumn gale;*
Empty and fickle, they cannot withstand the word of the Lord.
The children of God walk in his ways,*
the children of unbelief thread a dangerous course.

‘Choose here and now whom you will worship*
but I and my family, we will worship the Lord.’ (Josh 24:15)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

He was found perfect and virtuous and through him a remnant
was preserved in time of wrath.

The praises of God are always on his lips; he invites stars,
breezes, birds and all other creatures to praise the Creator.

Psalm 7

O Lord, I hasten towards you like a trembling fugitive.†
Save me, protect me, from all who stalk me,*
like beasts of prey.

Should I be held accountable for their hostility,*
paying back evil, a destructive influence in society?*
Then, level my pride with the dust!

But You know well, Lord, the inner recesses of the heart,†
those base cravings that lurk in unruly flesh.*
You know too, that in spite of good intentions,
the most subtle foe of all is myself.*
How cowardly I am in conforming to my finer instincts.

Yet, you have pledged to me your protection.*
No thought or desire of mine escapes your scrutiny.
You have determined my sinfulness;*
now Lord, set me free from its sinister consequences.

Will there ever be an end to evil?*
When will this thwarting tussle cease?
Strengthen me towards some lasting good,*
to win the sunshine of your smile.

Well known the end of those who thrive on evil.†
Their malice recoils on themselves,*
Their violence will fall on their own heads.

I take refuge in the Lord in my brokenness,*
that I may walk in his strength towards the prize.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

The praises of God are always on his lips; he invites stars,
breezes, birds and all other creatures to praise the Creator.

The Lord raised the humble to the heights and exalted him to the
ends of the earth.

Psalm 16

Keep me safe, O God,*
to You have I come for refuge.
I say it again; ‘You are my Lord.*
I have no other help but yours.’

I thank God,†
for the kindness of the people*
in this place where I dwell.
I have found friendship and love:*
a great support and comfort when in need!.

God has given me a beautiful portion!*
Pleasant brooks and meadows surround me.
He guards all that is mine.*
He tells me what to do.

I look to the Lord as my counsellor.*
Late into the night
God is ever ready*
to teach and guide me.

Is it any wonder I am happy?*
I am always thinking of the Lord,
I never need stumble and fall.*
Heart, body and soul are filled with joy.

The Lord shows me the path of life,*
fills me with gladness in his presence.

‘You have put into my heart a marvellous love*
for the faithful ones who dwell in your land.’

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Pause for quiet prayer & reflection on Psalm.

The Lord raised the humble to the heights and exalted him to
the ends of the earth.

Francis Bernadone, the little troubadour from Assisi,
lived a most remarkable life;
…. a life which was transformed through the good news of the Gospels
into a mirror which reflected the God-Man, Jesus Christ;
…. a life which had only recently been stamped with the
approval of the Crucified, by being pierced with the nail and lance,
wounds of the Stigmata;
…. it is a life which all too quickly and painfully was drawing to a
close.

The forty day fast and retreat which Francis spent on Mount La Verna,
where he had received the Stigmata, left him utterly exhausted. It was
now time to make the long, tiring journey back to Assisi.

It was to be a journey home in two senses; it would be a journey home
to the Portiuncula and San Damiano, from which his first spiritual
commission had derived, and from which he would have spread the
message of Christ across the world, had he been allowed.
But, it was home, too, in that Francis knew that he had but a few more
months to live before welcoming Sister Death with the same spiritual
joy with which he had welcomed the Seraph which had cut into his
body the wounds of the Crucified Saviour,

When he knew that the time of his death had come, Francis called all
his brothers together once more. He comforted them in their sorrow
about his approaching death. Convinced that the end was near, one of
the brothers whom Francis loved very much addressed him:

Father, your sons are about to be without a father. Remember your
orphan-sons whom you are now leaving; forgive them their faults.
You are our father and our mother who has begotten us and brought us
forth in Christ, our captain and our shepherd, our master and our ruler,
teaching and correcting us by your example rather than harsh words.
Together we ask for your blessing and for some words by which we
might remember your last teaching.

Let it be written down that I give my blessing to all my brothers and
sisters now and in time to come until the world’s end. My weakness
and sickness make me unable to speak many words, but in these three
sentences, let my will and intention be made known to all my sons
and daughters.
Let them, one and all, love one another
as I have loved you!
Let them evermore love and observe
Lady Poverty!
And let them evermore be faithful and
loyal to the prelates and clergy of
Holy Mother Church!
This shall be your portion that you shall be made heirs and reign in

Then Francis ordered the book of the Gospels to be brought and
asked that the Gospel according to St. John be read from that verse
which begins: ….
“It was before the festival of the Passover….”

Lector:

A reading from the Gospel according to John 13:1-15

“Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart
from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he
loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, son of
Simon Iscariot, to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had
given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,
got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he
poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with
the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter who said to him: “Lord,
are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus answered: “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will
understand. Peter said to him: “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered:
“Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him: “Lord, not
my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus said to him: “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but
is entirely clean. And you are clean though not all of you.” For he knew who was to
betray him; for this reason he said: “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed
their feet, had put on his robe and had returned to the table, he said to them: “Do you
know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord – and you are right, for
that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also
ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should
do as I have done to you.”

Then Francis had himself placed naked on the ground. Placed
thus without his garment of sackcloth, Francis raised his
countenance to heaven, and giving his entire attention to that
glory, he covered the wound in his right side with his left hand.
Then he said to his brothers:

I have done what was mine to do; my work is finished;
may Christ teach you to carry out yours!

Meanwhile Francis’ guardian hurriedly arose and taking a habit
said to him:

Francis, realise that this habit has been lent to you by me. I take
away from you all authority to give it away to anyone else.

Then Francis rejoiced for he saw that he had kept faith with
Lady Poverty to the very end of his life.
Happy in the thought of this last acceptance of the spirit of
poverty, Francis smiled and allowed himself to be
re-clothed with the habit.

By now his end was only a few hours away. At this supreme
moment, Francis in the most solemn way possible, remembered
the ties of friendship and loyalty which bound the brothers
together, and with that faith and simplicity which always
encouraged him to imitate the example of Christ in the most
literal of ways, he asked that bread be brought to him. Too
weak to break it himself, he asked that it should be broken for
him and then gave a piece to each of those present.

Almighty, most high and supreme God,
Father, holy and just,
Lord, King of heaven and earth,
we give you thanks for yourself.
By your own holy will you created
all things spiritual and physical,
made us in your own image and likeness,
and gave us a place in paradise,
through your only Son, in the Holy Spirit.

We praise you, Father, for all creation
and its restoration in Christ Jesus.

(with hands extended)
Holy Father,
above all we give you thanks today
for the memory of your blessed servant
and our father,
Francis of Assisi.
May the bread of heaven
which Sister Earth has given
and our brothers’ and sisters’ hands have moulded,
under whose appearance Jesus nourishes us,
aids us as we walk as brothers and sisters,
following the footsteps of the poor and humble Christ.

For your’s heavenly Father,
is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
through Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

Francis was very near now to death, but neither his mind nor his
spirit seemed to droop. He called two of his brothers to come
closer to him, for his voice was now weakening. He asked them
to sing for him once more the verses of his Canticle of the Sun,
including the last verse in praise of Sister Death.
…. and he tried with almost silent lips,
to join in the hymn,
as he did,
Francis of Assisi,
the Little Poor Man,
died!

He who began his life singing and dancing in the streets of
Assisi as the leader of Earthly festivities, literally died singing
with spiritual joy for his release from all beauty and all the
sorrow of life here on earth.

The Paschal Candle is now lit.

All pause now for a few minutes of silent prayer.

Responsory:

My heart and my soul ring out their joy to God, the living God.

My soul is longing and yearning, is yearning for the courts of the
Lord.

He rejoiced to share in the sufferings of Christ,
and now he exults with joy in the glory revealed to him.

My soul now glorify
the Lord who is my Saviour

Rejoice for who am I
that God has shown me favour.

The world shall call me blest
and ponder on my story.

In me is manifest
God’s greatness and his glory.

For those who are his friends,
and keep his laws as holy.

His mercy never ends
and he exalts the lowly.

But by his power the great,
the proud, the self conceited.

The kings who sit in state
are humbled and defeated.

He feeds the starving poor,
he guards his holy nation.

Fulfilling what he swore
long since in revelation.

Then glorify with me,
the Lord who is my Saviour.

One Holy Trinity,
for ever and for ever.

He rejoiced to share in the sufferings of Christ, and
now he exults with joy in the glory revealed to him.

Intercessions

Through the gospel, the Lord Jesus calls us to share in his
glory. Let us make our prayer with him to our heavenly Father.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.

Our Father ……

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray: (moment of silent reflection)
you granted the reward of eternal life
to our Blessed Father Francis.
Grant that we who celebrate
with tender devotion and filial affection
the memory of his passing from death to new life,
may ourselves one day have the joy of sharing
with him the gifts of the heavenly Kingdom.

This we ask through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

May the Lord Bless you and keep you.
May He turn his face to you,
and have mercy on you.
May He turn His countenance to you
and give you peace.
May the Lord Bless you: @
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Let us praise the Lord.