Recently, my community asked for volunteers to attend the Franciscan Federation in June. When we sent in our names, we included an explanation of our reasons for wanting to go.
For five years I was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, the lay (meaning: not a religious order of sisters, brothers, or priests) movement that St. Francis of Assisi started. It has the distinction of being the only Secular Order that was started by the founder of the religious order. I joined when I was in graduate school. I was drawn to St. Francis of Assisi.
One of the first aspects of his life that struck me was how boldly he lived his faith. He wanted to live the Gospel in a real way, and was not afraid to stand out. In fact, he purposely made statements with his behavior, witnessing to the values that Jesus Himself lived. As a young person, I knew well how strong the pull of society can be, and I respected St. Francis' ability to swim against the current. He resisted the influence of his contemporary society and that of the Church of his time, which was weakened by corruption and worldliness. He reformed from within.
As I grow older, I value his simplicity more and more. Life gets very complicated, and St. Francis always knew what was important and what wasn't. He stuck to his priorities: poverty, community, and the Gospel life. The more I adhere to what is important and let go what isn't, the more peaceful I am.
Lastly, hisfaith was of the heart, not the head. He didn't intellectualize the Bible or Jesus' life; instead, he knew that it was about relationships and personal conversion. This challenges me to move from my head to my heart.
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