Heart of Francis

St. Francis of Assisi has long held a special place in my heart as a role model for my life. I feel as though I’ve always known St. Francis, and my admiration for him has only grown stronger the more I have learned. The first story I remember hearing about St. Francis was the one in which he gave all his possessions back to his father and left to live with nothing of his own. To a young girl who was very dependent on her family, this was radically shocking and sparked my curiosity. I started to wonder if there were things in my life that I was holding onto that were getting in the way of my relationship with God. 

This type of thinking continued onward into my later teenage years. It seemed as though every approach to the Gospel that resonated with me stemmed from St. Francis’ way of life. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” St. Francis took these words to heart and made it his mission to approach everyone he encountered with the compassionate love of Christ. He lived out Jesus’ words in such a profound way that really made sense to me. For St. Francis, it wasn’t just knowing and believing in the Gospel. It was taking the great leap of faith to live out those teachings even when it was difficult or inconvenient. 

It was for this reason that the well-known quote: “preach the gospel at all times, when necessary, use words” is often attributed to St. Francis. These are the very words the FrancisCorps Director used when distributing Tau crosses at the commissioning mass for the FrancisCorps volunteers. It is also the same message that inspires so many Franciscans around the world, maybe even ones who attended the Transitus service right here in Syracuse, New York. 

It was amazing to see so many Catholics with a similar devotion gather to celebrate the life of St. Francis. The celebration included an opportunity to venerate a Franciscan relic, almond cookies, blessings for the animals, and much time celebrating with the community members of Assumption Parish and the friars at St. Francis Friary. There is no doubt the joy in celebrating this feast day came from a love of God, each other, and the life of St. Francis. Even after 800 years, the legacy of St. Francis still lives on in the hearts of every Franciscan.

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