It has been centuries ago when the saint Francis of Assisi walked the earth and proclaimed the Word of God in his own spontaneous way and yet it cannot be said that his teachings are irrelevant in modern times. St. Francis, compared to most of his fellow saints, had a uniquely different way of channeling God’s presence and this has been evident throughout his life.
He was born into a wealthy family in 1181, in Assisi, Umbria. His father, Pietro Bernardone, a successful cloth merchant, insisted that he be called Francesco to imitate his love for France and all its beauty1. He was originally baptized after John the Baptist. This environment is what cultured Francis’s life for most of his youth. He spent his life in excess without ever having to be touched by poverty. Joining the contemporaries of his time, he spent his nights partying, drinking merrily and indulging himself in pleasures he could easily afford without a care in the world. His parents hardly restrained him from taking his liberties. One may liken this lifestyle to what most middle-class and upper-class people have now. Oftentimes, the dreams and ambitions of many are focused entirely on themselves and their personal conveniences—ideas which are quite contrary to the very concept of Christian spirituality: to live a life for one’s neighbors and to live one’s life for God’s will.
Throughout his youth he often found himself wanting. He showed little interest in his father’s business nor was he remotely interested in his literary studies2. If anything, he was searching for glory. When Assisi declared war against its neighbor, Perugia, he enlisted as a knight. He was finally granted a chance to prove himself. Unfortunately, most of the army perished terribly during the fight. Because of his noble status, Francis was taken hostage and awaited ransom. He was trapped in a dungeon for several days. Although most would expect his transformation into the holy man we know him today, he hardly changed when he was released. He resumed his partying and merry-making as if nothing happened3. However, he was granted a second chance to claim the glory and fame he has been longing.
During the Fourth Crusade, there came another call for knights to battle. Again, Francis enlisted. His father ensured that he would wear not just plain steel but gilded armor with ornate designs paired with a glorious cloak4. On his way to the battle, he came across a beggar. Removing his cloak with a flourish, he handed it to the beggar with a claim that when he returns, he shall be a prince. His claim never had a chance to be proven. Barely a day away from Assisi, he received his calling from God telling him that he was making a grave mistake and should return home.
Even for St. Francis, transformation does not happen overnight. One cannot snap his fingers and suddenly state that he was going to change his ways and be a better person. Change happens gradually, with each memory in our lives contributing little by little. It took Francis years of luxury and a failed mission to glorify himself to shake him from his selfish mindset. Not even the mere sight of a beggar alone was enough to make him rethink his desires in life. As with today, people cannot force themselves to be better immediately. Smokers, alcoholics, and all others who are trapped in their vices need support and time to be released from their addictions.
Upon arriving home, Francis’ father was furious. Good money was wasted on armor and he became the laughingstock of their town. Francis didn’t seem to mind. He spent most of his time in reclusion and prayer, fervently trying to establish a stronger relationship with God. God however, did not stop with a simple message. He sent Francis his first test in the form of a leper5. Leprosy was seen that time as a terrible disease and all who have contracted it were shun from the confines of society. Instead of riding away, Francis stepped down from his horse and kissed the leper’s hands. The leper, overjoyed, returned the kiss to Francis. Instead of bitter revulsion, Francis was equally happy. He rode off with a feeling of great elation.
Nowadays, leprosy is not the only unsightly disease that plagues us. Countless forms of STDs, new strains of diseases and other illnesses are rampant especially in the developing countries. It is infinitely easier to turn a blind eye towards these poor fellows instead of lending them a hand. Imagine how much it would have taken Francis, the son of a wealthy merchant who dressed himself in only the finest garments, ate only his favorite food and kept only socialites for company, to humble himself enough to kiss a leper’s hands. This tremendous gesture of kindness is certainly lacking in our contemporary society.
Francis’ journey towards God led him to the old, crumbling church in San Damiano6. Here he heard God telling him to repair the church. Literally interpreting it as the physical structure, Francis sold his father’s expensive cloth and used the money to help repair the church. This infuriated his father who considered it theft to have his cloth sold and spent without his permission. Dragging his son in front of the bishop, he demanded that Francis return the money and he no longer recognizes Francis as his son. The bishop kindly asked Francis to return the money. Struck by a realization, he returned not only the money but the clothes he had on his back until he had only a few cloth rags on himself. He ran off to the woods singing happily even after several robbers beat him up and threw him in a ditch. Being completely free from worldly desires, he no longer wanted anything that he did not have—he was contented and happy with nothing.
This memorable event in Francis’ life is what firmly etched his figure as a true man of God. In front of his own father and everyone else, he gladly gave up all his worldly possessions for him to truly live in God’s presence. This is exemplary of a true Christian. To follow in the footsteps of Christ, one must not only follow the commandments and avoid sin but to actively perform benevolent actions such as relieving oneself of unnecessary possessions. It was also quite admirable how he did all this in the eyes of men; men who will judge him in a heartbeat. It no longer mattered to him if people thought of him as lowly; all that mattered was being one with God.
This life of sheer simplicity is a drastic contrast to the commercial reality that we find ourselves in now. Capitalist governments encourage spending, even sometimes beyond our means. Consumerism is what keeps the current economic structure afloat and without a market willing and able to purchase from companies, the structure will collapse. Perhaps radical poverty is not exactly applicable in this time and age. But in limiting ourselves to possessing only what we need instead of all that we want, we eliminate this insatiable desire to always have more than what we have now. What feeds the avarice of people nowadays is the constant comparison of their current financial state to everyone else’s. Greed is a massive hole that can never be filled, even with the most expensive and useless luxuries that the world can offer. In being content with the barest essentials, one eliminates this hole and a sense of ease ensues.
One of the most significant attributes of St. Francis is his love for nature8. He treats all animals as his brothers, equal even with his human brothers and sisters. There are even stories where he seems to be able to talk to them directly. He once was able to preach to birds about being thankful to God for His care and for their existence. Not a single bird left until he dismissed them. Another story is when he talked to a particularly vicious wolf who has been killing humans as his prey. He asked the people of the town the wolf has been attacking to feed the wolf for it to stop preying on humans. With that they were able to live harmoniously with the wolf9.
Although these stories may seem quite far-fetched, it gives a very important message. Humans have been given charge of God’s creations as stewards. But over time, this important responsibility has been neglected and mankind has prioritized his personal desires over the welfare of nature. This has led to countless disasters and natural calamities. Thousands of chopped trees have left mountains barren and land prone to mudslides and flooding. It has also led to the depletion of the ozone layer and triggered the event we all know as global warming. Polar caps are melting and nature has been acting erratically. The greed of humans has left nature in a grave state. This is certainly not the kind of mindset that St. Francis would’ve wanted. To think that he would treat even wolves and birds as his fellow brother, imagine how he would treat nature itself. Nowadays, nature is nothing but a fountain of resources—consumable and finite—for human innovation. That is why several governments and even companies are taking steps to ensure that their actions deal as little collateral damage as possible—if any even occur.
One particular characteristic of St. Francis was his light and simplistic approach to all that he encounters. An instance of this was when he wanted his brotherhood to be officially recognized by the Catholic Church. In his beggar’s rags, he went straight up to Pope Innocent III. In his shock, he threw Francis out. However, in his dream that night, Francis was carrying the Lateran basilica in his shoulders. He had Francis return and granted him the permission for him and his brothers to continue preaching10. Another example of his interestingly straightforward manner was during the Fifth Crusade. Instead of surging into battle alongside his fellow Christians as his younger self might have done before, he went straight to the Muslims and asked them to resolve the matter in a more peaceful manner. As to be expected, Francis and his brothers were captured. Oddly enough when they were presented in front of the sultan and Francis explained his side, the sultan didn’t ask for his head. He complimented Christianity, calling it a “beautiful religion”11 but knew his place as the leader of the Muslims and respected Francis as the head of his order.
In a world immersed in cynicism and apathy, a simplistic, straightforward manner geared on taking actions albeit impulsively is a very refreshing sight. Governments and its people always try to find a good reason why they shouldn’t do the right thing. St. Francis would most likely ask why not. People have grown numb to the suffering of everyone else. Photos of children dying from starvation, animals being cruelly slaughtered, news of war and famine—the most these ideas could spur is a like on Facebook or to be forwarded to the recipient’s mailing list. Nowadays, people would rather justify why inaction is better than action. They wouldn’t want to risk the stability of their position, especially for the well-off people in developed countries. It takes only for the good to stand by for evil to win, as they say.
St. Francis exemplified Christ’s teaching throughout his life. He reduced himself to almost complete poverty, begged only for his barest necessities, loved everyone equally—even the other creations of God and devoted the rest of his life to preaching. To be frank, his attitude would probably be considered ridiculous and naive in modern times. If someone actually disowned himself from a wealthy family, stripped down to rags, and began preaching to everyone—including birds, he’d find himself in an asylum if he were lucky. But perhaps this radically opposite mindset of how it is to be a good person and a good Christian is exactly the kind of attitude the world needs in this day and age. With almost all good people shrouded in ignorance and inaction, St. Francis illustrated with his entire life exactly the kind of change the world needs now. Perhaps to shatter the wall of cynicism that the world has built around itself, it needs a radically different mindset about the world—one of deep humility, sincerity and a great love for all.
