On June 4, I have the privilege of going to Assisi, Italy, with 15 others from Marian University, Indianapolis. The purpose of this trip is to immerse ourselves in the history and spirituality of Ss. Francis and Clare of Assisi and their followers.
Marian University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana. The Franciscan spirit is very alive on campus, and special attention is paid to what we call the 4 Franciscan sponsorship values grounded in prayer. Ask any student at Marian and he or she will tell you that our values are: 1) the dignity of each individual, 2) peace and justice, 3) reconciliation and 4) responsible stewardship. Interpretations of what these values mean may be open to discussion, even debate, but the values are there for all to see. As Sr. Norma Rockledge says, “Our values are embedded in the fountain in the center of the campus. They are here to stay!”
Of course it all started a long time ago, in the 13th century, when a handsome young man from the center of Italy underwent a dramatic change of life. A young warrior from a wealthy merchant family gave up everything for the sake of the Gospel. And before he knew it, thousands of men and women had given up their worldly possessions to join him.
What do people—yesterday, today and tomorrow—see in this amazing man?
I think it’s his simplicity and his joy. Especially for us who are burdened by the complexity of life, and the profound anxiety that goes with it, these characteristics of Francis’s witness to the person of Christ stand out.
In Francis of Assisi, we recognize a happy man who knows how to live simply. It’s true that Francis experienced great suffering—including the “stigmata” that allowed him to experience the sufferings of the crucified Christ. Anyone who knows the many obstacles that Francis had to overcome as he sought to carry out Christ’s command to “rebuild my Church” knows that his life was not an easy one.
And yet, through it all, Francis emerges as a simple man who loved life and who celebrated the beauty and wonder of all God’s creation.
We long to be like him. We wish we could cast off our dependence on material things. We wish we could find happiness—and peace—in the simple beauty and in the joyful celebration of all God’s gifts. St. Francis inspires us because he carries his burdens lightly—in sharp contrast to our heavy hearts—and because he can laugh and sing and dance in circumstances that cause us much sadness and despair.
What allowed Francis to “keep it simple” in the face of life’s complexities? To remain a happy man even in the face of great suffering? To rebuild a Church in decay?
Francis maintained an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He loved the Eucharist, and he sought nourishment for his soul in the body and blood of Christ. He was a passionate man, and his reverence for this great sacrament filled him with a powerful sense of awe and wonder. He once wrote, “Let everyone be struck with fear, let the whole world tremble, and let the heavens exult, when Christ the Son of the living God is present in the hands of the priest. O stupendous dignity! O humble sublimity, that the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under an ordinary piece of bread!”
We like to think of St. Francis as a free spirit—and so he was. But Francis was also a man of the Church. He knew that the Church is the sacrament of Christ’s presence among us and that the center of the Church is the Eucharist. The Lord asked Francis to “rebuild my Church.” He responded by giving away his material possessions, by serving others, by dedicating his life to prayer and the proclamation of God’s word and by challenging all of us to be worthy of the gifts we have received from God—in the holy Eucharist and in wonder of all creation.
As Pope Benedict XVI once wrote, “Francis was a great saint and a joyful man. His simplicity, his humility, his faith, his love for Christ, his goodness toward every man and every woman brought him gladness in every circumstance.”
What do we need to do to be happy? Look to Francis and follow his example. Become men and women who know, love and serve Jesus and truly are close to God!
I thank God for the opportunity to go to Assisi and experience something of the the intimate connection between holiness and joy which is the Franciscan charism.
Sponsored by Graham-Pelton Consulting, Inc.
Copyright © 2015, Daniel Conway Permission is given to copy and distribute this Good Steward Newsletter for use in religious or educational settings provided that proper attribution is given to the author. This publication may not be sold or distributed to the general public without the express permission of the author.
