He Did Something Right
The spirituality of this medieval monk was one of solitude, introspection, and deep intimacy with God whom he sought out in the mountains of central Italy. But despite his attempt to live apart with God, more and more people started to come to him. They were interested in his way of life.
He did Christianity right. He didn’t pick and choose which things to believe or not. He didn’t just say he was a Christian, he actually lived it. And obviously there weren’t too many other Christians at this time who’s lives were vivid reflections of Jesus Christ, because it seems that they were all coming to him.
He Was Weird – Piety
Like Jesus—the model for everything he said and did—St. Francis of Assisi lived an extremely radical, counter-cultural lifestyle which included poverty, prayer, fasting, and preaching. His goal was to be more like Jesus. And then, like now, many people claimed to be Christians, but not many were willing to live according to Christ’s teachings. That’s what stood out about Francis. What drove his life was his intimacy with God through which he found the strength to continue on.
He Didn’t Want Fame – Humility
Although many flocked to learn from and follow Francis, he never wanted that. In fact, he did all he could to avoid it. When his band of Lesser Brothers grew to be international, the majority of his followers wanted him to establish a religious order, but he didn’t want to. It was practically against his wishes that the Franciscans came to be. Francis is the epitome of humility. He sought only to love and serve God and others (Mt 22:37-40).
He Never Forgot His Purpose – Service
Throughout his life as a Christian, Francis never forgot about what it meant to be a Christian. He followed Christ religiously. He served Christ in compassion to those “least of my brothers” (Mt 25:40). He didn’t just give money to some charity that took care of the needy, he got his hands dirty himself. That’s the kind of selfless service that is saint-making.
Happy Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi!
If you’re interested in learning more about the life of St. Francis of Assisi—which I definitely encourage you to do—I would recommend you read Donald Spoto’s book Reluctant Saint. It’s an amazing biography that will give you the truth about the Church’s most popular saint.