Original Innocence- The otherside to original sin

In the movie Brother Sun, Sister Moon (the life story of Saint Francis of Assisi) there is one scene where after Francis is radically born again in the Spirit, leaves his riches, family, friends and community to go rebuild a broken down and abandoned church deep out in a rural community, and to live out and preach the Gospel with the peoples of the area, people from his old community attack and destroy his work at the church (because of jealousy and persecutions), and even kill one of the people involved in the rebuild project. Francis is so deeply grieved that this tragic event happened because of a sin in his life, or an error in his doctrine, that he set out to speak with the Pope himself.

Many profound side stories develop at this fantastic storyline develops, yet one of the more profound scenes of the movie is after Francis gains an audience with the Pope. Francis asks him "Your holiness, has this tragedy back at my church happened because of my sin in my life, or an error in my thinking or doctrine?" The Pope reassures young Francis of Assisi that his life is perfectly in step with the Spirit of God, and he is actually is so moved my Francis' life, that the Pope himself bows and kisses Francis' feet! (sending the religious people of that church into an uproar- those that say they can see, oftentimes cannot :-(

The Pope's answer was clear and sure "Young Francis, to often we become preoccupied with original sin, when we should be focused on ours and others original innocence.

I often meditate on what happened in Francis' mind and heart to turn him from a crusader warrior to one of the most profound men of God since the first century apostles?

The Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.