What Francis of Assisi Can Teach Us About Dancing in Our Twilight

Feed Your Wolf

When most people think of St. Francis of Assisi they think of the many birdbaths that depict him.

There are many legends about St. Francis. One of them, about his adventure with a wolf, can teach us about how to respond to people we may have a history of conflict with.

In our twilight, old conflicts or ongoing conflicts can leave us with anger and regret that fill our final years with pain.

I’d like to tell you a story of St. Francis that suggests how we can find peace with those who have frightened us, hurt us, or made our lives difficult.

The story goes like this…

There was once a proud town, at the foot of a great mountain, and at the edge of a large wood, called Gubbio.

One night a shadow came out of the woods and prowled the streets of Gubbio. In the morning, a citizen of Gubbio was found dead, mangled in one of the alleys of Gubbio.

No one had seen the crime, but everyone was afraid. And almost everyone stayed indoors the next night. But, there were some who decided to walk alone late at night…

The second morning began with cries throughout the town. Someone else was found, his clothes torn and his body mangled.

But an old woman had peered out her window in the middle of the night. By the light of the moon, she had seen the shadow of a lean and hungry wolf.

That night only two young men dared to go out. They had their swords in their sheaths, and were seeking fame. But the wolf saw them before they saw the wolf.

In the morning, the people of Gubbio saw that the young men had not even had time to draw their swords from their sheaths. Now everyone was terrified.

A town meeting was held in the great piazza, and after much debate a course of action was decided. It seemed that there was a holy man in a nearby town. And he spoke with animals. Perhaps he would speak with the wolf.

The elders of Gubbio quickly journeyed to that nearby town, and sought out the holy man. They were directed to a small piazza in one of the poorer parts of the town.

There they met a simple man, dressed in woolen rags. He listened to them complain about the wolf, and then asked them what he should say to the wolf.

The first elder said, “Why, tell him to keep the Commandments, especially the one that says Thou Shalt Not Kill.”

Another elder said, “Tell him about the Great Commandment. Tell the wolf to love his neighbor as he loves himself.”

But, all the other elders disagreed with the first two, saying, “Wolves are wolves, and they never change. Tell the wolf to go to another town. We do not deserve a wolf in Gubbio.”

And so the elders of Gubbio named all the great cities of Italy that they felt deserved a wolf:

They said,

“The lawyers in Rome are liars…

the merchants in Florence are greedy…

the bankers in Milan are dishonest…

the people of Venice celebrate Carnival without morals or shame…

Of course, they felt that the good city of Gubbio deserved no wolf. The holy man listened patiently, and then told them to go home. Yes, he would speak to the wolf.

And so the ragged holy man journeyed to the woods outside of Gubbio.

As the sun set, he entered the woods without any weapons and without any light. He walked quietly through the darkness until he could feel the presence of the shadow in front of him.

Then he stopped. The holy man and the shadow remained silent in the presence of each other. Finally, the holy man spoke, but only two words.

He said: “Brother Wolf.”

Nothing more was said. And they understood each other.

In the morning, the holy man went to the great piazza in the very center of Gubbio, and spoke to the crowd.

“Listen, good people of Gubbio, it is very simple. You must feed Your Wolf.”

Then he quickly left Gubbio, and returned to his own town. The people of Gubbio argued about what he said all day long. Most of them said:

“What does he mean ‘Our Wolf’? We did not ask for a wolf to come to Gubbio. That is not our wolf!”

That night, the wolf returned to Gubbio. All the streets were empty, and everything was in darkness. Then, as the wolf came down a dark street, a door swung open.

And light poured out into the darkness.

Someone stepped into the street, and placed a platter of food on the cobblestoned road. And the wolf devoured the food placed in front of him.

And so it was the same, in front of a different house every night. And within a year each household had taken a turn feeding their wolf.

This continued for three more years until the wolf, growing old, like all God’s creatures, died. And then all the people of Gubbio wept, wondering to themselves:

How will we now feed Our Wolf?”

As for that holy man, he returned to his town of Assisi. His name was Francis.

And that was not the only time that Francis spoke to the animals. He spoke with them many times, but those are all other stories.*

*Hat tip to my mentor and dear departed brother storyteller, Dr. Bob Wilhelm.

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Some questions to ponder:

What does your “wolf” need? How can you “feed” him or her?

Are you willing to take the risk to take the first step toward reconciliation?

What fear is holding you back from opening your door to your “wolf?”

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Jim Cyr is a trained spiritual companion who helps older adults reflect on the meaning of their lives and how God has been present or absent as they face the challenges of aging and end of life.

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