Saint Francis of Assisi

Inspiration

Francesco Bernardone of Assisi is St. Francis. The Franciscan way of life was born in 1209, when three men of Assisi went to the church of St. Nicholas and, seeking God’s guidance,  opened the Scriptures. They were Francis, a son of a wealthy merchant; Bernard of Quintavalle, a rich merchant; and Peter Catania, a lawyer.

Francis had already given his up his wealth to live a life based solely on the Gospel. After Mass, they opened the Bible three times hoping to discover God's will for them. The message they found was in Matthew's Gospel, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me." (16:24)

There and then they vowed to live with these words. This event set the standard for generations of men who would join Francis, Bernard and Peter. This way of life was approved by Pope Innocent III.

Francis wrote out a simple way of life for himself and his eleven companions. It began with the words, "The Rule and Life of the Friars Minor is this: To observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience, without anything as our own, and in chastity.

The Franciscan Order, named after its founder, St. Francis of Assisi, has the formal title "Order of Friar Minor (OFM), the Order of Lesser Brothers. This title expresses the humble, brotherly spirit which is so characteristic of its members. It emphasizes that, like Christ, they are available to serve all people and all of God's creatures in genuine brotherly regard.

Francis meditated deeply on the life of Christ. He tried to simply and genuinely walk in the footsteps of Christ.

The Spirit

The simple birth and heroic death of Jesus held a special message for Francis. He could see how He emptied Himself of glory and power to become a lowly person like us.

The awareness of the good God as his Father is the basis of the all-pervading joy of St. Francis. In becoming a man, Christ became our brother.

In Christ, Francis saw himself as a brother to all, even to animals and inanimate creatures, so he spoke of "Brother Sun" and "Sister Moon." Christ came to serve and not to be served. Francis would live out that spirit.

Service to others, coupled with respect for the goodness of God in them is the basis for Francis' spirit of humble service.

Francis was aware of the goodness of God and saw so much goodness in people, in all of God's creatures. Even in suffering and pain, he broke forth in songs of praise and gratitude. This is the Franciscan spirit: a combination of joy, brotherliness, humble service, prayer and gratitude.

Work

As Franciscans, these religious men are consecrated to God, and committed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus from within the Catholic Church. Their first priority is a search for God. Along with the contemplative dimension is the active service to others.

St. Francis introduced to the Church of his day a new practice of working in the midst of others. Any work which would give the occasion for contact with people, especially the poor, and provide a means of proclaiming the Gospel was acceptable as long as the spirit of prayer was not extinguished.

Franciscans have ministered whereever there was a human need. By their humble service and Christ-like attitudes, they strive to remind all to witness the presence of Christ in the world and help establish the kingdom of God.