Over the past year, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on St. Francis and trying to better understand this remarkable saint. At times, he can feel difficult to relate to because he is often portrayed almost as a spiritual superhero. We hear stories of him preaching to animals, embracing lepers, rebuilding churches, living in radical poverty, and even bearing the wounds of Christ.
It can be tempting to think, “That was St. Francis. I am not St. Francis.” And, of course, none of us are. But that is not the point.
We are not called to imitate every circumstance of St. Francis’s life. We are called to imitate his spirit. His entire life was centered on becoming more like Christ, and that same call belongs to each of us.
What a fitting time to reflect on that calling as we celebrate our parish feast day during the Jubilee Year of St. Francis. Although St. Francis lived more than 800 years ago, his witness is no less relevant today. The circumstances of the world may have changed, but the need for holiness has not.
The goal of the Christian life is to become more and more like Christ. That is precisely what St. Francis sought to do. When I reflect on his life, three virtues stand out in particular: simplicity, humility, and charity.
Our culture often encourages the opposite. Instead of simplicity, we are drawn toward materialism. Instead of humility, toward self-glory. Instead of charity, toward individualism. For that reason, the virtues of St. Francis remain urgently needed.
First, simplicity.
St. Francis had a remarkable ability to focus his life on what mattered most: Jesus Christ. He detached himself from the things of the world so that he could be more completely attached to God.
That does not mean every Christian is called to give away everything he or she owns. Rather, simplicity means recognizing that possessions, careers, success, comfort, and reputation can never become our ultimate purpose.
God is God. Everything else is secondary. When we live with that understanding, we become freer.
Second, humility.
Jesus repeatedly tells us that we must become like little children. Not childish, but childlike. A child recognizes dependence, does not pretend to have everything figured out, and is capable of trust.
St. Francis’s poverty was not simply about having less. It reflected his complete dependence on God. Our world often tells us that we should be entirely self-sufficient, that we need no one but ourselves. The Gospel tells us something very different: we need God. We need Christ.
Humility means emptying ourselves so that God can fill us. Christ himself gave us the perfect example. He humbled himself, became obedient to the Father, and accepted even death on the cross.
Finally, charity.
Simplicity and humility prepare the way for this greatest virtue. St. Francis expressed it beautifully in the simple prayer: “My God and my all.”
Those few words reveal the heart of his spirituality. God was not simply one important part of his life. God was his life.
If we truly love God, we must also love what God loves: His children. Christianity can never be reduced to “me and Jesus.” True love always moves outward. It desires the good of the other and, ultimately, desires that every person reach heaven.
St. Francis received the love of Christ and then gave that love away.
As we celebrate our patron saint, we should ask ourselves whether our lives reflect his example. We do not need to dress like St. Francis or live as though we were in the 13th century. We are called instead to become more like Christ: simpler, humbler, and more loving.
That is the legacy of St. Francis, and it is the goal of every Christian life: to become so much like Christ that others can see Christ in us.
Father James Schibi, Pastor