This month we celebrated the feast day of St Francis, but who was this once extremely rich young man who gave up everything to lead a poor and simple life?

Unfortunately, St Francis is often depicted as someone who easily followed the Lord Jesus' teachings. However, this facile version of his conversion erroneously portrays a man who did not have his struggles in letting Christ be the Lord of his life.

Fortunately, his testament amply shows how much Francis had to fight against his sinful attitudes in order that the grace of God would have its total reign in what he said and did. He writes: "The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body".

Francis' life-turning point was his continual courageous wisdom and humility to acknowledge how unworthy he was to serve the Lord. The Little Flowers nicely explains this cardinal aspect in the Poverello's life, as the following significant episode shows:

"One day, as St Francis was returning from the forest where he had been praying, he was met by Friar Masseo, who wanted to test how humble he was, asked him: 'Why you? Why you?' St Francis replied: 'What is it that you want to say?'

"Friar Masseo said: 'I mean, why does the whole world follow you, and everyone wants to see you, to hear you and to obey what you say? You are not good-looking, you're not particularly learned, neither are you of noble birth. Why, then, does everyone want to follow you?' Hearing this, St Francis, altogether overjoyed in spirit, said to Friar Masseo: 'You want to know why everyone follows me? It is because the most holy eyes of God did not find anyone more wicked, more imperfect or a greater sinner than I am, more insufficient, or a greater sinner than me'."

The moral of this story is that God's strength is shown in one's weakness. God is ready to do great wonders, provided that the person involved is open to his divine action. When that person truly recognises how unworthy she or he is, then God can truly enter that person's mind and heart for them to do his saving work. St Francis could say with Saint Paul: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2: 20). The Poverello managed to let Christ live in him because he closely modelled his life on the powerful advice that the Letter to the Galatians offers: "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24).

Passions and desire stem from a person's uncontrolled ego - an ego that justifies its actions by useless rationalisations. The irony is that, the more it tries to liberate itself from what is right, the more it becomes a slave of its own ruthless master: pride. Nowadays, pride is seen in the way we react when we are contradicted, corrected or criticised. We are becoming too preoccupied with ourselves and problems and we risk being annihilated by our self-centredness!

So, what does St Francis suggest to us? He teaches us to be open to Jesus Christ and let his words and deeds transform us from within. Those who put on Christ are immediately recognised by the way they behave. They are certainly not arrogant, presumptuous or full of themselves but are meek and humble of heart.

It is only the latter who can respect creation, serve those who suffer with compassion and generosity and work tirelessly for a world that is free from armed conflicts. They are the ones who can mend our shattered world with love, pardon and forgiveness.

Lord, free me from my pride in order to be relevant for our world as St Francis still is. Amen.

 

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

Paola