St Francis Today
Fr Richard Roemer CFR, the
leader of the Franciscan Community at Canning Town, is a member of a
new Franciscan order, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, formed in
New York over a decade ago. Below he shares about the message of St
Francis for today
 Just
over a century ago, Pope Leo XIII amazingly stated that "St Francis
was called to reform the Church not in the way other saints had done,
nor just for his own time, but for all time to come.. Whenever society
strays from the right path, no other remedy is needed but to revitalise
the spirit of the orders St Francis founded."
It is difficult to think of another saint who can match
the popular appeal of St Francis (except perhaps the great finder of
lost items, St Anthony, who was an early Franciscan anyway!) It is easy
to see why St Francis appeals to so many people in every age. I recently
met a fallen-away Catholic who is coming back to faith because he started
reading about St Francis and discovered in him "someone without
hypocrisy."
Giovanni, son of the wealthy merchant Peter Bernadone,
was born in 1182 and given the name Francis "Frenchy") as
a nickname. Growing up as a lad in Assisi, he displayed the passion
one might expect from "the most saintly of the Italians and most
Italian of the saints". He was party loving, generous, spontaneous,
and chivalrous. He used these same qualities after his conversion ("sublimated"
them we would say today) in his service to Christ. It was probably his
passionate, whole-hearted character that made the communist leader Lenin
remark that with 10 people like St Francis he could change the entire
world. In fact, by the grace of God, St Francis notably impacted the
world in his brief 20 years of converted life. He died at the age of
45, blind from weeping so many tears of love, soaring in perfect joy
and praise of God, and transformed into an icon of Christ.
The highlights of his conversion helped to define his
saintly character and his lasting impact upon the Christian world. When
the Lord asked him in a dream if it would be better to serve the Master
or the servant, the chivalrous Francis began to see his role as the
"herald of the great King", not to be enslaved any longer
by a superficial and petty society. The freedom that St Francis found
in Christ at first made people think he was crazy, but soon attracted
people of all backgrounds to him. His standard of judgement was totally
centred in Christ, so unlike the "enlightened" Christian of
today who tends to readily accept secular judgements upon the faith.
St Francis often told his friars, "What a man is before God, that
he is, and nothing else."
Jesus spoke from the cross in the Church of San Damiano
and told him to "Go and rebuild my Church, which you see is falling
into ruins." In his simplicity he first took these words literally
and began fixing up little churches around Assisi. Later this truly
Catholic and Apostolic man realised it was the universal Church the
Lord was speaking of, and he carried out this rebuilding in a most humble
and reverent manner.
In the church called the Portiuncula, when he was asking
the Lord for further direction, he was given three Gospel verses relating
to poverty. They were Mark 10.21 "sell everything and give it to
the poor"); Matthew 16.24 ("deny yourself and take up your
cross") and Luke 9.3 ("take nothing for the journey").
Known as "il poverello", the little poor man, it was this
love for poverty in the imitation of Christ that particularly became
his trademark and that of his followers, and a special gift for the
Church. He made poverty attractive to men and women by showing how much
God is attracted to poverty. He didn't see poverty as end in itself,
but as a way to identify more closely with the poverty of Jesus. St
Francis gave us the first Christmas creche because of his enthrallment
with the poverty of the Word becoming flesh. He was also the first to
receive the stigmata (not counting perhaps St Paul), because he was
so conformed in his heart to the crucified Saviour. I've met many "card-carrying"
materialists in our own day who continue to be intrigued and attractd
to Franciscan poverty when it bears fruit in genuine joy, peace and
love of others. I've personally found poverty to be a great help for
growing in interior freedom.
St Francis' deeper conversion in love of neighbour occurred
when he met a leper on the road. He was totally disgusted at the sight
and smell of lepers until that day when he was given the grace to overcome
himself, to get off his horse, give the leper a coin and a kiss. At
that point, he tells us in his Testament, "what was bitter was
changed to sweetness" and this reverent service to lepers and other
outcasts marked the rest of his life, for he truly saw Christ in them.
In our own day we continue to learn from his example not to serve others
with a condescending attitude but with a sense of smallness and brotherhood
in Christ.
Although he is still popular today, this "birdbath
saint" has often been misrepresented and misunderstood. The best
way to understand St Francis' heart ( and he was definitely more of
a "heart" man than a "head" man) is to read his
own writings. One might be surprised for example, that the greatest
concern manifested in his letters to laity, friars, clergy and even
government rulers is reverence for the Eucharist. He always speaks concretely
of the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of the Lord.
In reading his prayers, one would definitely class him
as a 13th century charismatic. He was not afraid to be passionate and
emotive about God (something natural to Italians). His "Praises
of God" would leave any champion charismatic breathless! He told
friars in our Rule to "seek above all else the Spirit of the Lord
and His holy operation in your life." His preaching and decision
making were usually spontaneous and Spirit-led. He didn't plan so much
as listen to God in the present moment, something we often need to be
reminded of. He seemed inspired in some of the simple prayers he would
often repeat, such as "My God and my all!" or "Who art
Thou O Lord and what am I?" which are helpful prayer starters when
we get distracted.
The essential elements of St Francis's life that are
a "remedy whenever society strays" include poverty, charity
to outcasts, love of the Eucharist and the Church, prophetic faith,
passionate prayer and penance. In our own day, his gift for reconciling
enemies and for revering God's work in the "Book of Creation"
are also timely issues. No doubt, his whole-hearted, non-compromising
Gospel life is a tough act to follow. A holy Capuchin Franciscan, Blessed,
Bernard of Corleone, remarked that he wasn't afraid to face Christ on
judgement day, but he was afraid to face St Francis! In St Francis'
words, "May we begin to do good, for up to now we have done very
little!"
 Here
are a few suggested books about St Francis that you might find helpful:
Francis and Clare (Classics of Western Spirituality Series published
by Paulist Press New York 1982)
Francis and Clare: Their Writings (Regis Armstrong)
For those who want to go to the source material.
God's Fool by Julien Green published by Harper Collins 1985.
Accurate, well written and available.
The Ideals of St Francis of Assisi by Lothar Hardic OFM (Franciscan
Herald Press; Chicago 1982)
An inspiring topical guide to Franciscan living.
The Admonition of St Francis of Assisi by Lothar
Hardic OFM (Franciscan Herald Press; Chicago 1982)
The jewels of St Francis' thought on poverty of spirit and how to
live it out.
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