The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order
Prologue: Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (circa 1210-1215)
Concerning Those Who Do Penance
All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.
Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and he will make his home and dwelling among them, and they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill the will of the Father who is in heaven .
We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give light to others by example.
Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy Paraclete.
Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved, beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the Father saying:
"Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will belive in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see this glory of mine in your kingdom."
Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance
But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of this life.
These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is said, " Their skill was swallowed up " and " cursed are those who turn away from your commands ". They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad things and knowingly destroy their own souls.
See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and " proceed from the heart of man " as the Lord says in the Gospel. And you have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would possess the vanities of this world for a long time.
But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction but does not do it.
The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the talents and power and knowledge and wisdom which they thought they had will be taken away from them, and they leave their goods to relatives and friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, " Cursed be his soul because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he did. " The worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they will suffer torture without end.
All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the charity that is God to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not know how to read have them read to them.
And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner to the end, because they are spirit and life .
And those who will not do this will have to render an account on the day of judgement before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter I
The Secular Franciscan Order
The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God--laity, religious, and priests-- who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.
The Secular Franciscan Order holds a special place in this family circle. It is an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout the world and open to every group of the faithful. In these fraternities the brothers and sisters, led by the Spirit, strive for perfect charity in their own secular state. By their profession they pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of St. Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church.
The present rule, succeeding Memoriale Propositi (1221) and the rules approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times. Its interpretation belongs to the Holy See and its application will be made by the General Constitutions and particular statutes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter II
The Way of Life
The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.
Christ, the gift of the Father's love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly.
Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.
Secular Franciscans, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity. The faith of Saint Francis, who often said " I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood," should be the inspiration and pattern of their eucharistic life.
They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by their life and words.
Called like Saint Francis to rebuild the Church and inspired by his example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in full communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.
United by their vocation as brothers and sisters of penance, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls conversion. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father's mercy and the source of grace.
As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.
Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the Eucharist. Let them join in liturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ.
The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to his every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently.
United themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father's hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to him even in difficulties and persecutions.
Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God's children.
Thus, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.
Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.
As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ.
A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.
Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in Christian spirit of service.
Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.
Let them esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption, and service of the human community.
In their family they should cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ.
By living the grace of matrimony, husbands and wives in particular should bear witness in the world to the love of Christ for his Church. They should joyfully accompany their children on their human and spiritual journey by providing a simple and open Christian education and being attentive to the vocation of each child.
Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which bear the imprint of the Most High, and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of universal kinship.
Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.
Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.
Since they are immersed in the resurrection of Christ, which gives true meaning to Sister Death, let them serenely tend toward the ultimate encounter with the Father.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter III
Life In Fraternity
The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into fraternities of various levels--local, regional, national, and international. Each one has its own moral personality in the Church. These various fraternities are coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of the constitutions.
On various levels, each fraternity is animated and guided by a council and minister (or president) who are elected by the professed according to the constitutions.
Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member and to the community.
Within themselves the fraternities are structured in different ways according to the norm of the constitutions, according to the various needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their respective council.
The local fraternity is to be established canonically. It becomes the basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members.
Requests for admission to the Secular Franciscan Order must be presented to the local fraternity, whose council decides upon the acceptance of new brothers and sisters.
Admission into the Order is gradually attained through a time of initiation, a period of formation of at least one year, and profession of the rule. The entire community is engaged in this process of growth by its own manner of living. The age for profession and the distinctive Franciscan sign are regulated by the statutes.
Profession by its nature is a permanent commitment.
Members who find themselves in particular difficulties should discuss their problems with the council in fraternal dialogue.
Withdrawal or permanent dismissal from the Order, if necessary, is an act of the fraternity council according to the norm of the constitutions.
To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other Franciscan groups, especially with youth groups. It should adopt appropriate means for growth in Franciscan and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with deceased brothers and sisters through prayer for them.
Regarding expenses necessary for the life of the fraternity and the needs of worship, of the apostolate, and of charity, all the brothers and sisters should offer a contribution according to their means. Local fraternities should contribute toward the expenses of the higher fraternity councils.
As a concrete sign of communion and coresponsibility, the councils on various levels, in keeping with the constitutions, shall ask for suitable and well-prepared religious for spiritual assistance. They should make this request to the superiors of the four religious Franciscan families, to whom the Secular Fraternity has been united for centuries.
To promote fidelity to the charism as well as observance of the rule and to receive greater support in the life of the fraternity, the minister or president, with the consent of the council, should take care to ask for a regular pastoral visit by the competent religious superiors as well as for a fraternal visit from those of the higher fraternities, according to the norm of the constitutions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May whoever observes all this be filled
in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father,
and on earth with that of his beloved Son,
together with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
Concerning Those Who Do Penance
All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.
Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and he will make his home and dwelling among them, and they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill the will of the Father who is in heaven .
We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give light to others by example.
Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy Paraclete.
Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved, beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the Father saying:
"Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will belive in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see this glory of mine in your kingdom."
Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance
But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of this life.
These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is said, " Their skill was swallowed up " and " cursed are those who turn away from your commands ". They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad things and knowingly destroy their own souls.
See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and " proceed from the heart of man " as the Lord says in the Gospel. And you have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would possess the vanities of this world for a long time.
But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction but does not do it.
The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the talents and power and knowledge and wisdom which they thought they had will be taken away from them, and they leave their goods to relatives and friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, " Cursed be his soul because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he did. " The worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they will suffer torture without end.
All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the charity that is God to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not know how to read have them read to them.
And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner to the end, because they are spirit and life .
And those who will not do this will have to render an account on the day of judgement before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Chapter I
The Secular Franciscan Order
The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God--laity, religious, and priests-- who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.
The Secular Franciscan Order holds a special place in this family circle. It is an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout the world and open to every group of the faithful. In these fraternities the brothers and sisters, led by the Spirit, strive for perfect charity in their own secular state. By their profession they pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of St. Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church.
The present rule, succeeding Memoriale Propositi (1221) and the rules approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times. Its interpretation belongs to the Holy See and its application will be made by the General Constitutions and particular statutes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter II
The Way of Life
The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.
Christ, the gift of the Father's love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly.
Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.
Secular Franciscans, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity. The faith of Saint Francis, who often said " I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood," should be the inspiration and pattern of their eucharistic life.
They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by their life and words.
Called like Saint Francis to rebuild the Church and inspired by his example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in full communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.
United by their vocation as brothers and sisters of penance, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls conversion. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father's mercy and the source of grace.
As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.
Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the Eucharist. Let them join in liturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ.
The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to his every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently.
United themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father's hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to him even in difficulties and persecutions.
Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God's children.
Thus, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.
Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.
As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ.
A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.
Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself, let them exercise their responsibilities competently in Christian spirit of service.
Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.
Let them esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption, and service of the human community.
In their family they should cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ.
By living the grace of matrimony, husbands and wives in particular should bear witness in the world to the love of Christ for his Church. They should joyfully accompany their children on their human and spiritual journey by providing a simple and open Christian education and being attentive to the vocation of each child.
Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which bear the imprint of the Most High, and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of universal kinship.
Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.
Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.
Since they are immersed in the resurrection of Christ, which gives true meaning to Sister Death, let them serenely tend toward the ultimate encounter with the Father.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter III
Life In Fraternity
The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into fraternities of various levels--local, regional, national, and international. Each one has its own moral personality in the Church. These various fraternities are coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of the constitutions.
On various levels, each fraternity is animated and guided by a council and minister (or president) who are elected by the professed according to the constitutions.
Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member and to the community.
Within themselves the fraternities are structured in different ways according to the norm of the constitutions, according to the various needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their respective council.
The local fraternity is to be established canonically. It becomes the basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members.
Requests for admission to the Secular Franciscan Order must be presented to the local fraternity, whose council decides upon the acceptance of new brothers and sisters.
Admission into the Order is gradually attained through a time of initiation, a period of formation of at least one year, and profession of the rule. The entire community is engaged in this process of growth by its own manner of living. The age for profession and the distinctive Franciscan sign are regulated by the statutes.
Profession by its nature is a permanent commitment.
Members who find themselves in particular difficulties should discuss their problems with the council in fraternal dialogue.
Withdrawal or permanent dismissal from the Order, if necessary, is an act of the fraternity council according to the norm of the constitutions.
To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other Franciscan groups, especially with youth groups. It should adopt appropriate means for growth in Franciscan and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with deceased brothers and sisters through prayer for them.
Regarding expenses necessary for the life of the fraternity and the needs of worship, of the apostolate, and of charity, all the brothers and sisters should offer a contribution according to their means. Local fraternities should contribute toward the expenses of the higher fraternity councils.
As a concrete sign of communion and coresponsibility, the councils on various levels, in keeping with the constitutions, shall ask for suitable and well-prepared religious for spiritual assistance. They should make this request to the superiors of the four religious Franciscan families, to whom the Secular Fraternity has been united for centuries.
To promote fidelity to the charism as well as observance of the rule and to receive greater support in the life of the fraternity, the minister or president, with the consent of the council, should take care to ask for a regular pastoral visit by the competent religious superiors as well as for a fraternal visit from those of the higher fraternities, according to the norm of the constitutions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blessing of St. Francis (1226):
May whoever observes all this be filled
in heaven with the blessing of the most high Father,
and on earth with that of his beloved Son,
together with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
THE PEACE SYMBOL
FRIAR UPDATE, Volume 1, Issue no. 24 (2 pages), 11 August 2008
http://www.franciscans.org.au/jpic/releases2008/ps.pdf
http://www.franciscans.org.au/jpic/releases2008/ps.pdf
Francis and Nature
St Francis of Assisi is known throughout the world as a lover of nature.
Many artistic portrayals of the Saint connect him with the environment.
It was not surprising then, that the Pope declared him the Patron Saint of the Environment in 1979.
Why in the 21st Century, in the midst of global pollution and warming, expanding holes in the ozone layer and massive devastation of our planet's eco-systems, do we look to a 13th century man to give us guidance and inspiration?
Long before the environment became an issue, Francis saw human beings abusing nature.
In what could be the first "ecological statement" outside the Bible, Francis said this:
"These creatures minister to our needs every day; without them we could not live and through them the human race greatly offends the Creator every time we fail to appreciate so great a blessing." - Legend of Perugia 43
There is no doubt that he demonstrated an affinity with nature and with the animal kingdom.
Many of the old medieval legends about St Francis speak of his ability to communicate with nature in an extraordinary way.
There is the famous story of how he tamed the man-eating wolf that terrorised the citizens of the small village of Gubbio.
Or the occasion when near the village of Bevagna he preached to the birds.
We are told he even lifted worms from his path so that they would not be trodden upon.
Francis' regard was not just for animals.
Toward the end of his life, as he was going blind, the doctors had prescribed applying a red-hot poker to his forehead. As the poker was being brought from the fire to be applied to his frail body, he prayed, "My Brother Fire, that surpasses all other things in beauty, the Most High created you strong and beautiful and useful. Be kind to me in this hour; be courteous." It was during this period, in his last days while he lay sick and dying, that this great 13th Century mystic composed that most famous poem dedicated to God and Nature, known as The Canticle of All Creatures.
Inter-connections
It is important to see that Francis was much more than someone who liked nature
Premise One:
St Francis was a man of faith.
He was a mystical person.
He therefore saw God's presence in everything around him.
Thus, when he encountered nature, he encountered God.
He saw everything and everyone through the eyes of faith.
One of the main attributes of God was that of Creator.
Thus, all beings animate or inanimate, were therefore creatures.
St Francis was not an animist or a pantheist; that is he did not worship "god" in the tree/ the stone or the water.
Rather, he saw God's providential love expressed in and through all creatures: the beauty of a forest, the simplicity of a solitary leaf, the wondrous complexity of a human hand;
all of them shouted to Francis that "God is here."
For Francis, the world about him drew him to God and was a display of divine love.
Premise Two:
Francis had no doubt that human beings were the pinnacle of all of God's creation.
In this, he followed the understanding of the Bible, as expressed in the book of Genesis.
Woman and man were created in God's image and likeness.
They were especially to be loved and respected.
Premise Three:
Francis cultivated a mystical and deeply personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.
This relationship was so profound, that for the last three years of his life, he bore the marks of the Crucified Jesus in his own body, known as the stigmata.
He was in fact the first person in Christian history to have received this extraordinary gift.
Thus, when he related to his fellow human beings, it was through the eyes and heart of Jesus.
When he embraced that leper on the road near Assisi, it was not only a hideous leper whom he kissed but also the very person of Jesus, incarnate in the leper.
For Francis, Jesus was present in every human person, but particularly in the poor and outcasts.
These three premises allow us to understand just how deeply inter-connected all beings were under God as Creator and through Jesus, who was the incarnation of God's extraordinary love.
St Francis - a Greenie?
It would be too easy to make Francis the medieval man into a modern day Greenie. Some have tried to do this. The "hat" does not fit. Too often some relate to Francis as a type of Dr Dolittle who can perform all sorts of tricks with nature; others have relegated him to the birdbath! This is not the Francis of history.
Francis did not have a sense of the ecological "crisis" as we have; that goes without saying! Nor would be approve that attitude that seeks to "save the planet" so that there is something left for our children and grandchildren. That would have been an human-centred approach for Francis. It leaves God totally out of the picture. Terms like "environmental sustainability"/ "eco-systems"/ "extinction of the species" would mean little to Francis.
The solution of Francis
Some have asked: what would Francis do or say if he lived today? How would be react to the current ecological crises facing our planet?
Look firstly at your attitudes and behaviours.....
Francis was aware of human sinfulness; he had a sense of his own sinfulness and knew well the causes of unhappiness and much of human suffering. Francis understood that the root causes of environmental destruction are to be found in attitudes of avarice, ignorance and pride. He knew that much of human misery came about because of these sins.
How often has it not been said that the "evils of globalisation" are due to sheer greed? Or that the "multinationals" see themselves as "buying-off" the resources they need to expand? Or that the "wealth of the First World is built on the poverty of the Third World"? Pride and arrogance go hand in hand; is not that the attitude of those who rape the environment for their own ends?
Cultivate the virtue of humility.....
Francis was known for his humility. This is not a popular word in our dictionary! Who wants to be "humble"; yet, the word originates from the Latin humus, which means "of the earth". The humble are close to the earth with feet firmly fixed on the ground and know who they are and where they stand. They see themselves as part of the "whole," dependent on the environment for their survival.
Above all, in Francis' understanding, the humble are upright people, who live with integrity and see themselves as a creature, not as a 'creator'.
Seek unity with God and with all creation.....
Francis, the medieval mystic, captured the essential truth that all of us are reliant on the environment for our survival in his own unique way. He had that innate sense that his life and being were intimately connected with every other being but especially his fellow human being. He "transgressed" the borders that separated rich from poor/ Muslim from Christian Crusader/ the outcast from those in the town/ men from women.....
Because of his person and his lifestyle, so firmly fixed on the Gospel of Jesus, literally thousands came to follow him, from every walk of life and from every part of Christendom of that time.
So, is it not surprising that today, the message of Francis of Assisi, speaks not only to Catholics and Christians, but often to people of every major world religion.
At the core of Francis' "spirituality," was not some "pseudo-new-age" style of "unitarianism", but his firm belief in the Oneness of God: that only in and through God is the whole of creation united and connected and that in Jesus Christ, all are equal in the sight of God. For Francis, Jesus was his "brother, his friend and companion." So was every human person.
St Francis was not an environmentalist in our sense of the word but, he was a mystic who was deeply in communion with his own environment. His influence endures to this day and his followers, Franciscans of every walk of life, are often involved in environmental action.
Franciscans Today and the Environment
As might be expected, many of the followers of St Francis today are deeply concerned about the environmental issues afflicting our planet. Some of these contemporary disciples of Francis are also involved in trying to address some of the many concerns about the future of our planet
Franciscans International
Franciscans International, the body representing the world's Franciscans at the United Nations, attended the world summits on the environment, including the recent Kyoto meeting. They alert Franciscan missionaries in various Third World nations where there has been and still is exploitation of the local people and environmental destruction such as in PNG where a Friar pastor became a rallying point for the opposition by locals at a company's destruction of their pristine forest.
Text taken from: http://www.franciscans.org.au/spirituality/index.htm
Many artistic portrayals of the Saint connect him with the environment.
It was not surprising then, that the Pope declared him the Patron Saint of the Environment in 1979.
Why in the 21st Century, in the midst of global pollution and warming, expanding holes in the ozone layer and massive devastation of our planet's eco-systems, do we look to a 13th century man to give us guidance and inspiration?
Long before the environment became an issue, Francis saw human beings abusing nature.
In what could be the first "ecological statement" outside the Bible, Francis said this:
"These creatures minister to our needs every day; without them we could not live and through them the human race greatly offends the Creator every time we fail to appreciate so great a blessing." - Legend of Perugia 43
There is no doubt that he demonstrated an affinity with nature and with the animal kingdom.
Many of the old medieval legends about St Francis speak of his ability to communicate with nature in an extraordinary way.
There is the famous story of how he tamed the man-eating wolf that terrorised the citizens of the small village of Gubbio.
Or the occasion when near the village of Bevagna he preached to the birds.
We are told he even lifted worms from his path so that they would not be trodden upon.
Francis' regard was not just for animals.
Toward the end of his life, as he was going blind, the doctors had prescribed applying a red-hot poker to his forehead. As the poker was being brought from the fire to be applied to his frail body, he prayed, "My Brother Fire, that surpasses all other things in beauty, the Most High created you strong and beautiful and useful. Be kind to me in this hour; be courteous." It was during this period, in his last days while he lay sick and dying, that this great 13th Century mystic composed that most famous poem dedicated to God and Nature, known as The Canticle of All Creatures.
Inter-connections
It is important to see that Francis was much more than someone who liked nature
Premise One:
St Francis was a man of faith.
He was a mystical person.
He therefore saw God's presence in everything around him.
Thus, when he encountered nature, he encountered God.
He saw everything and everyone through the eyes of faith.
One of the main attributes of God was that of Creator.
Thus, all beings animate or inanimate, were therefore creatures.
St Francis was not an animist or a pantheist; that is he did not worship "god" in the tree/ the stone or the water.
Rather, he saw God's providential love expressed in and through all creatures: the beauty of a forest, the simplicity of a solitary leaf, the wondrous complexity of a human hand;
all of them shouted to Francis that "God is here."
For Francis, the world about him drew him to God and was a display of divine love.
Premise Two:
Francis had no doubt that human beings were the pinnacle of all of God's creation.
In this, he followed the understanding of the Bible, as expressed in the book of Genesis.
Woman and man were created in God's image and likeness.
They were especially to be loved and respected.
Premise Three:
Francis cultivated a mystical and deeply personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.
This relationship was so profound, that for the last three years of his life, he bore the marks of the Crucified Jesus in his own body, known as the stigmata.
He was in fact the first person in Christian history to have received this extraordinary gift.
Thus, when he related to his fellow human beings, it was through the eyes and heart of Jesus.
When he embraced that leper on the road near Assisi, it was not only a hideous leper whom he kissed but also the very person of Jesus, incarnate in the leper.
For Francis, Jesus was present in every human person, but particularly in the poor and outcasts.
These three premises allow us to understand just how deeply inter-connected all beings were under God as Creator and through Jesus, who was the incarnation of God's extraordinary love.
St Francis - a Greenie?
It would be too easy to make Francis the medieval man into a modern day Greenie. Some have tried to do this. The "hat" does not fit. Too often some relate to Francis as a type of Dr Dolittle who can perform all sorts of tricks with nature; others have relegated him to the birdbath! This is not the Francis of history.
Francis did not have a sense of the ecological "crisis" as we have; that goes without saying! Nor would be approve that attitude that seeks to "save the planet" so that there is something left for our children and grandchildren. That would have been an human-centred approach for Francis. It leaves God totally out of the picture. Terms like "environmental sustainability"/ "eco-systems"/ "extinction of the species" would mean little to Francis.
The solution of Francis
Some have asked: what would Francis do or say if he lived today? How would be react to the current ecological crises facing our planet?
Look firstly at your attitudes and behaviours.....
Francis was aware of human sinfulness; he had a sense of his own sinfulness and knew well the causes of unhappiness and much of human suffering. Francis understood that the root causes of environmental destruction are to be found in attitudes of avarice, ignorance and pride. He knew that much of human misery came about because of these sins.
How often has it not been said that the "evils of globalisation" are due to sheer greed? Or that the "multinationals" see themselves as "buying-off" the resources they need to expand? Or that the "wealth of the First World is built on the poverty of the Third World"? Pride and arrogance go hand in hand; is not that the attitude of those who rape the environment for their own ends?
Cultivate the virtue of humility.....
Francis was known for his humility. This is not a popular word in our dictionary! Who wants to be "humble"; yet, the word originates from the Latin humus, which means "of the earth". The humble are close to the earth with feet firmly fixed on the ground and know who they are and where they stand. They see themselves as part of the "whole," dependent on the environment for their survival.
Above all, in Francis' understanding, the humble are upright people, who live with integrity and see themselves as a creature, not as a 'creator'.
Seek unity with God and with all creation.....
Francis, the medieval mystic, captured the essential truth that all of us are reliant on the environment for our survival in his own unique way. He had that innate sense that his life and being were intimately connected with every other being but especially his fellow human being. He "transgressed" the borders that separated rich from poor/ Muslim from Christian Crusader/ the outcast from those in the town/ men from women.....
Because of his person and his lifestyle, so firmly fixed on the Gospel of Jesus, literally thousands came to follow him, from every walk of life and from every part of Christendom of that time.
So, is it not surprising that today, the message of Francis of Assisi, speaks not only to Catholics and Christians, but often to people of every major world religion.
At the core of Francis' "spirituality," was not some "pseudo-new-age" style of "unitarianism", but his firm belief in the Oneness of God: that only in and through God is the whole of creation united and connected and that in Jesus Christ, all are equal in the sight of God. For Francis, Jesus was his "brother, his friend and companion." So was every human person.
St Francis was not an environmentalist in our sense of the word but, he was a mystic who was deeply in communion with his own environment. His influence endures to this day and his followers, Franciscans of every walk of life, are often involved in environmental action.
Franciscans Today and the Environment
As might be expected, many of the followers of St Francis today are deeply concerned about the environmental issues afflicting our planet. Some of these contemporary disciples of Francis are also involved in trying to address some of the many concerns about the future of our planet
Franciscans International
Franciscans International, the body representing the world's Franciscans at the United Nations, attended the world summits on the environment, including the recent Kyoto meeting. They alert Franciscan missionaries in various Third World nations where there has been and still is exploitation of the local people and environmental destruction such as in PNG where a Friar pastor became a rallying point for the opposition by locals at a company's destruction of their pristine forest.
Text taken from: http://www.franciscans.org.au/spirituality/index.htm
The Prayer of Saint Francis
in practice
by Fred Schaeffer, SFO
Taken from: http://www.franciscan-sfo.org/p1/reflex.htm
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,
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,
Pardoning that we are pardoned,
And dying to self that we are born unto Eternal life. Amen.
The two greatest commandments that contain the whole law of God are, thou shalt love the Lord with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength, and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. | |
Works of Mercy | |
CORPORAL Feed the Hungry, | SPIRITUAL Admonish the Sinner |
St. Francis of Assisi Quotes (Francis of Assisi Quotes)
Taken from: http://www.brainyquote.com
Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.
Francis of Assisi
For it is in giving that we receive.
Francis of Assisi
Grant me the treasure of sublime poverty: permit the distinctive sign of our order to be that it does not possess anything of its own beneath the sun, for the glory of your name, and that it has no other patrimony than begging.
Francis of Assisi
I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.
Francis of Assisi
If a superior give any order to one who is under him which is against that man's conscience, although he do not obey it yet he shall not be dismissed.
Francis of Assisi
If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.
Francis of Assisi
If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.
Francis of Assisi
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
Francis of Assisi
It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.
Francis of Assisi
It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.
Francis of Assisi
Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Francis of Assisi
No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you harm. You have no enemy except yourselves.
Francis of Assisi
Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.
Francis of Assisi
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Francis of Assisi
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Francis of Assisi
Where there is injury let me sow pardon.
Francis of Assisi
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
Francis of Assisi
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