There is a beautiful legend about St. Francis, a Wolf, and the village of Gubbio.

Gubbio was a prosperous village in Italy that, for awhile, found itself under siege of a Wolf. The Wolf was killing both the livestock and citizens of Gubbio. Everyone was on edge, so the mayor sent his advisors to find and meet with Francis of Assisi. The mayor and his advisors had heard that Francis could speak with animals and that he also talked with God.

Francis met with the mayor’s men and was filled with much empathy for their situation. He returned to Gubbio with them and after spending some time with the mayor, Francis decided to search for and meet with the Wolf. His goal was to find a solution to this problem that worked for everyone, including the Wolf.

Within hours of leaving the village, Francis came face to face with the Wolf. The legend teaches that Francis and the Wolf immediately began to communicate with one another. After realizing that Francis meant him no harm, the Wolf described how his pack had deserted him because of a leg injury that prevented him from keeping up with the others. The Wolf could only chase slow-moving prey, hence his attacks on livestock. The Wolf also explained that he had killed villagers who had threatened his life in some way.

Francis astutely observed that the Wolf carried as much fear as the citizens of Gubbio, enabling him to conceive a solution to the problem: The Wolf would return with Francis to the village. The citizens would provide the Wolf food, meeting his needs for sustenance. In return, the Wolf would live peacefully within the village, helping to guard the citizens and to meet their needs for security. The Wolf accepted the plan by placing his paw gently in Francis’ outstretched hand.

When St. Francis and the Wolf returned to Gubbio, they were met by citizens filled with fear and sadness. Was the Wolf truly tamed? Would he remain gentle if they fed him? And could those villagers who had lost loved ones find it in their hearts to forgive the Wolf?

The Wolf was on edge as well. He trusted Francis, but could he trust the villagers? Would they be able to forgive him and be willing to feed him? What if they surrounded him and tried to kill him after Francis left? With his injury, the wolf would not be able to escape the confines of the village.

But with Francis as an empathetic and peaceful mediator, the citizens and the Wolf acknowledged and let go of their fears. They let go of the past, each forgiving the other their trespasses. The legend teaches that the Wolf lived peacefully within the village of Gubbio for another two years before he died, loving the citizens who cared for and loved him in return.

This legend always stirs my heart. At first glance, the obstacles to peace seem obvious. For the citizens of Gubbio, the Wolf is the transgressor, wantonly killing their livestock and fellow citizens. For the Wolf, the citizens are the transgressors, standing between him and his food and randomly threatening him.

But the obstacles to genuine and lasting peace are rarely so obvious. In the legend, St. Francis shows us that the real obstacle to peace resides within the hearts of the citizens of Gubbio and of the Wolf. The obstacle to their shared peace is fear — the fear of not having enough, the fear of being misunderstood, the fear of being duped, the fear of making a bad decision, the fear of dying.

Fear is a terrible thing for all of us. Fear, by its nature, is so often an emotional or irrational response that separates us from God and from others. In fact St. Francis once said, “By the anxieties and worries of this life, Satan tries to dull man’s heart and make a dwelling for himself there.”

Fear is not from God. God is Love, and the Bible plainly tells us that in God’s perfect love there is no fear. (1 John 4: 18)

God wants us to move beyond fear. The phrase “do not be afraid” and similar expressions of encouragement appear at least 365 times throughout the Bible — a daily reminder from God about the debilitating effects of fear on our shared sense of peace and wellbeing.

The legend of the Wolf of Gubbio offers an important lesson about the need to be aware of the demons that we can see — and of the demons and fears that reside within our hearts.

The legend also reminds us that only God’s grace can help us to understand the things that we fear and to see how fear affects our behaviors and decisions. If we ask God to, He can and will tame those demons that threaten the peacefulness of our hearts.

St. Francis shows us that peaceful hearts are powerful hearts. Hearts filled with God’s peace provide the clarity and courage to offer solutions that can bring lasting peace to others as well.

When your fears rise up, immediately place them before God. Do not let your hearts be troubled. God will bring you a peace like no other. (John 14: 27)

“Dear God, please reveal to us Your sublime beauty that is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, so that we will never again feel frightened.” St. Francis of Assisi