And then there were four. We started Lent Madness 2015 with 32 saints and now you can count the remaining saints on one hand (and still have a thumb left over). Who will win the coveted Golden Halo? Only a few short days and your voting participation will give us the answer. But it’s come down to this: Francis of Assisi, Molly Brant, Brigid of Kildare, and Egeria.
Today we begin the first of two Faithful Four match-ups as Francis of Assisi takes on Molly Brant. Tomorrow, Egeria will face Brigid of Kildare. Then on Spy Wednesday you, Lent Madness voter, will decide who wins the 2015 Golden Halo. (What exactly is "Spy Wednesday?" Thanks for asking. Click here to read all about it).
In this round we ask our Celebrity Bloggers to briefly answer one question: “Why should Saint XX win the Golden Halo?” Today, Laurie Brock (Francis) and Maria Kane (Molly) continue to shepherd these two saintly souls through the 2015 bracket.
Speaking of which, how about a round of applause for our fabulous team of Celebrity Bloggers who toil away in the trenches of Lent Madness without nearly enough recognition? They are truly the backbone of this operation and are worthy of our gratitude. Please do hound them for autographs when you spot them wearing sunglasses and baseball caps just trying to lead normal lives.
To make it to the Faithful Four, Francis defeated John Wycliffe, Cecilia, and Thecla while Molly beat Swithun, Cuthbert, and Bernard Mizeki. (Click on the names of defeated opponents to relive the previous saintly battles and refresh your memory about these two saints).
Francis of Assisi
Our church garden is well-used holy space by all of God’s creation. One afternoon in October, members of our church gather with our companion animals and ask God’s blessing on these precious beings of God who share their lives with us.
Over the years, more and more neighbors of many faiths join us, and what began as a small gathering has grown into a lively and sacred time filled with the chorus of barks and meows. Our St. Francis statue, nestled in a corner of the church garden, stands in witness to this holy gathering, reminding us of the man who saw God fully visible in every aspect of holy Creation.
Francis, for his many gifts to the Christian faith, is likely most well-known as the namesake of the Blessing of Animals. I suspect Francis, who spent his life responding to the great generosity of God in all he encountered, would probably offer he was just stating the obvious: that God is present in all that surrounds and sustains us and of course we should offer thanks and prayers.
Francis’ most well-known prayer which he actually wrote, Canticle of Brother Sun, is a song to God who has so deeply entered creation that everything is connected in mystical union. Francis saw everything in creation related to one another and deserving of honor and love. The words remind us that no part of creation is too small or too great, too insignificant or too vast, to stand separate from each other. Brother Sun and Sister Moon are honored. Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Mother Earth are all part of the unity of God. Even Sister Death, “from whom no living man can escape” is praised as part of God’s creative experience.
One of the lesser known aspects of Francis is his devotion to the Holy Spirit. Francis was inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit in 
prayer, devotion, service, humility, and peace (granted, Francis’ humility would probably cause him to take the Golden Halo, if he wins, and offer it to Brother Sun or Sister Moon to add to their light). For Francis, love is the medium of Holy Spirit, and expressing love is a reflection of the Holy Spirit alive in our lives. He writes in one of his prayers, “inflamed by the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.”
As we begin Holy Week, we pray that we, too, will walk in the way of the cross, in the footprints of Jesus, and find it the way of life. At the end of Holy Week, we will gather again in our church garden to begin the Great Vigil of Easter. Our song of the Exsultet will celebrate Brother Fire that is the New Fire we pray will burn within our souls; we will praise Sister Death who has been transformed by God and Christ; we will sing with Mother Earth that darkness has been vanquished by our Eternal King.
Our St. Francis statue, nestled in the corner of the church garden, will stand witness to this holy gathering. And in the great chorus of the angels and saints, I pray that we will hear Francis himself join us in our songs and prayers exalting God who has entered creation and filled it with new life.
-- Laurie Brock
Molly Brant
The first time I read Molly Brant’s history, I was immediately struck by her ability to navigate between two vastly different cultures and political systems. As one historian said, she was a “bridge between two worlds.” In the midst of our currently fractured political system, Brant’s life illustrates that there is another way — perhaps not a perfect way — but a means nonetheless of how people of differing cultural and political systems can strive to co-exist in times of uncertainty. Molly’s faithfulness to her Christian faith and her Mohawk family shaped her commitment to harmonious relations even amidst a war that sought to attain the allegiances of Native American tribes no matter the cost to tribal culture and way of life.
Naturally, many debates have circled around Molly’s Loyalist leanings. However, one must remember that history is often on the side of the winner. Were we to step into Molly’s shoes, our view and esteem of her might be a bit different.
Indeed, Molly’s life causes us to examine our own interpretations, leanings, and motivations and how they impact others.
Ultimately, Molly’s goal was to preserve the cultural vitality and independence of Native American tribes. While her displacement 
to Canada could have been a cause for her to remain bitter, she instead chose to channel her energy into establishing southern Ontario’s first church.
Upon her death, both her Mohawk community and her British neighbors collectively mourned her death and recognized her outstanding leadership. As one contemporary of Brant recalled, “She was quiet in demeanour, on occcasion, [sic] and possessed of a calm dignity that bespoke a native pride and consciousness of power. She seldom imposed herself into the picture, but no one was in her presence without being aware of her.”
Such is often the case of men and women whose faith shapes not what they say, but how they seek to live their lives in the midst of an imperfect world.
-- Maria Kane
Vote!
[poll id="137"]
168 comments on “Francis of Assisi vs. Molly Brant”
For Molly, for many reasons but foremost for seeking mutual understanding between diverse cultures through the Gospel of Christ. Surely St. Francis has inspired many and speaks well to my deepening mysticism; so, in the spirit of a mystic, I vote for she who was the predictable underdog from the very beginning. (Forgive the pun, *wink.)
Further, my prayer would be that for as many votes that St. Francis receives, multiples more would come to embrace people other cultures and faiths just as they would quickly embrace puppies and kittens.
Thank you Celebrity Bloggers, SEC, and comment writers!
Every Lent I learn more about saints I am familiar with, meet saints I didn't know before, and benefit from the comments and stories and insights from fellow Christians. Indeed, "the world is bright with the joyous saints who love to do Jesus' will." (Hymn 293 vs 3)
And I mean to be one too!!
I know it's a landslide for Francis, but I ended up voting for Molly because Francis had all the benefits of being within the normative culture and in an environment that allowed him to develop his wonderful, mystical and lay-led gifts, while Molly came in from "left field" (baseball season in just a few days go big Red Machine!), to create something truly wonderful in the midst of clashing cultures and literal clashes. Blessings to them both and all who work to live in their wisdom, but Molly edges Francis in my book.
I don't believe vowed Religious are ever "within the normative culture" - at least I've never met any who were/are. I voted for Francis.
I have to admit that after reading about Indiana's new "religious freedom discrimination" law and about a woman opening a legislative session in Tennessee with a prayer that we not extend Medicare to the poor, I first thought that our Lent Madness voting seemed frivolous given the problems in our world today. Then I read again about Francis and Molly and was reminded that these people faced similar problems in their time and found courage and redemption in their faith. So, thank you for giving me hope and then making me choose between two such faithful people. I gave my vote to Francis, but all 32 candidates have been sources of inspiration and comfort.
question: Once a saint has won the golden halo, is he/she retired from the competition for ever?
Yes.
I agree. I did not know of Molly Brant till this year's saintly smackdown. Though St. Francis legacy of harmony and reverence for all life resonates with the environmental concerns of our modern world, Molly Brant's examples resonate as loudly as a testament to bridge building between cultures, which would, I believe, empower all peoples to move forward with reverence for one another and world we all inhabit. SO I voted Molly as well.
This is getting silly I think both these individuals have contributed much to the Christian Mythology. There gifts to the faith community are both noteworthy and laudable I think. Blessed Easter and Happy Spring to one and all. TNC+
Have noted much fuss and feathers about how Francis should be retired to give others a chance. I believe that if he does win the halo this year, he will be -- thus giving the rest of the good folks a chance next year.
Here's to Molly's "Loyalist leanings" ... she gets my vote!
I am distressed at how many Francis supporters seem to think of him mainly an animal lover and proto-environmentalist. Jesus was his first love, with whom he identified in many ways. His second love was the poor, the leper, the outcast, the dirty. Maybe we should make statues of him washing the feet of beggars, not chatting with winged creatures, however pretty. I voted for him of course.
Amen.
I'm glad to have the chance to vote for Francis in honor of dear Bentley who was killed in a fire at the kennel where he was boarding and for Zeb who survived the fire against all odds because of skilled veterinarians and a boatload of prayers to St. Francis.
I would like to put an advanced order in for the winning Francis LM mug please. Thank you
Voted for Francis, as I have each of the previous times, not primarily because of negatives in the other contender, but because of all of his positive factors.
Re Molly Brant, I'm not troubled by her Loyalist leanings. I am very troubled that she was a slaveholder.
Tomorrow's Brigid-Egeria clash should be a close one. I'm unsure how I'll vote.
Francis is so beloved that the bracket does indeed become unfair, as Francis is in a class by himself. Thus I vote for Molly today!
I'm with you, Lucretia!
Also, if this is permitted, I really want to share the following from "A Day's Work" in the March 2015 Reader's digest:
"Religion is generally a verboten topic for everyone at work, except for Larry. Recently, after he steered yet another conversation toward the subject, a coworker whispered to me,, "That Larry -- he always has to put his two saints in."
Just what we are coming down to in Lent madness... Two Saints!
My cats told me to vote for Francis. (My statue of him in the foyer was pretty adamant as well.)
Well it may have been a protest vote but I voted for Molly Brant...a very imperfect woman in a very complex time and place who plowed on in faith and courage.
As you say, imperfect. But that pretty much sums us all up doesn't it? Molly was a woman, I'd say ahead of her time, brave and probably an itch to many around her. I am so glad that we all have been introduced to her. She's certainly a new role model to a bunch of us.
My cat is sitting on my lap, but I think he might prefer the quiet power of Molly's presence over the somewhat flamboyant Francis. Gabriel, the cat, does not want people to sing about him. He wants you to sit and pet him.
But does Gabriel sing to them? can you imagine if Gabriel was in the LM running how many cries of Unfair, Unfair, Too popular there's be?
Adding another voice to the "retire Francis' jersey" after this - one of the charms of Lent Madness is learning about more obscure saints of the past, or unfamiliar stories of contemporary holiness, and finding an ultimate winner with the most engaging story of a sacred life. Although I'm sure all of us could learn details of his history that would surprise us, St. Francis, one of the most popular saints on the planet whose name was even chosen by the current pope, doesn't really fit into either of those categories. I feel like he is a rather unstoppable juggernaut at this point, which compels me to vote for the underdog (which is what I assume Francis would have done ;-).
I realize we can only try, Carol Buckalew (there are so many of us named Carol here!) and I love that hymn,too, that goes back to Jr. Choir days. Another that makes me think of St. Francis today, dates back to "Rainbow Girls". It's about Christ's Love of all the gifts of creation. I always feel that love singing "I walk through the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses...." Do you know the one I mean? Also, "The Tie That Binds" all of us in Christian Love. Beautiful. Now let's go sing "Were You There?"
What a choice!! But Francis vs. Molly is no contest. It has been such a joy to read each day about these saints a lot of whom I knew nothing about. Thanks to all!
Francis will, yet again, adorn a coffee cup. Pre-ordering mine tomorrow.
BEST LM ever! Thank you SEC and all the bloggers.
I have stayed true and from day one I said it would be Francis and Kamehameha for the Golden Halo. hey 50% isn't bad.
It appears he who would own nothing will beat she who owned slaves and therefore advance to take on the winner of tomorrow's ballot, which will be either a solo-traveling female liturgical anthropologist who preserved the history of early Christian celebrations or the woman who might very well have been Ireland's first female bishop, in Spy Wednesday's Toss Up for The Golden Halo of Lent Madness MMXIV.
(If Brigid advances the final round will be nun vs monk.)
Just one question: how many real people mentioned in the NT or known to us in the first thousand years of Christian history did NOT own slaves or did NOT belong to a slave-owning family? Please consider what it means that slavery was taken for granted in antiquity and persisted in various forms and under various names throughout the Middle Ages (European serfs). The Franciscans and other mendicant orders did not own slaves, but the monastic orders did, and they drove their slaves hard. And the laity were not exempt from this rule either. Look closely into the economic institutions of the ancient and medieval world, and if you consider slave-owning a deal-breaker, you'll have to give up a lot of saints you wouldn't want to do without.
Such as?
Another wonderful year. Thank you to all involved. I have learnt so much again, and encountered saints I had not previously heard of; all are inspiring. Every day in my Iona Community office I pray: O God, who gave to your servant Columba
the gifts of courage, faith and cheerfulness,
and sent people out from Iona
to carry the word of your gospel to every creature,
grant, we pray, a like spirit to your church,
even at this present time.
So in that spirit I cast my vote for Francis who carried the gospel to every creature, and who was a radical, reaching out to Islam and enlarging our vision of the world.
My vote for Francis because he is a good helper for all of the animals like Adam did when he didn't have Eve.
I vote for St Francis and his early sense of our connectness to all living things.