As you know, Franciscan spirituality came from St. Francis of Assisi, who turned his back on the wealth he was born into at the turn of the 13th century in order to help people in need. Participants in Franciscan spirituality took a vow of poverty in order to best serve the poor. The idea is that it creates personal humility,without possessions one cannot be vain, and this simple life lets anyone concentrate fully on their vows and service to those in need.
Those who practice Franciscan spirituality view this as a way to become Christ-like, their ultimate goal. They believed that such a deliberate choice to live a life so austere is in a way a crucifixion of themselves, and therefore they are imitating Jesus, as their faith requires them to. By "crucifying" himself in this way, a Franciscan does away with beworldly processions and is then reborn into a new life under God.
Animals, like impoverished people,often at a disadvantage when it comes to care. In fact,almost every depiction of St. Francis of Assisi shows animals at his feet; as he was also known for his special bond with animals. Followers of Franciscan spirituality deeply love all that God has created after all, love is the foundation of this faith, and animals are a part of this.
There are three distinct branches of Franciscan spirituality:
1. First Order: composed of unmarried men who followed St. Francis into his service to the impoverished (married men were excluded from this original order because Francis believed that a family should not live under the vow of poverty, as that would constitute undue suffering)
2.Second Order: (also known as the Poor Clares) composed of unmarried women who wished to serve the poor in St. Francis' way, but followed his friend St. Clare of Assisi
3. Third Order: composed of both men and women; some joined the Third Order because they were married and thus ineligible to join the other orders; this Order also had a separate all-male segment that formed in Italy in the mid-15th century
Love is the vehicle by which those practicing Franciscan spirituality achieve their spiritual goal. By fully and absolutely loving Christ and all of Godís creatures, they become one with whom and what they love; a Franciscan cannot ask for more than this unity. Once he achieves this, a Franciscan can then love God the Father; the ultimate goal.
Franciscans observe seven values in their practice:
- Love of Jesus, thus love of God
- Christ-centered theology, especially concerning the Gospel, with an emphasis on love
- Emphasis on Jesusí Incarnation from the crib to the cross to the Eucharist, recognizing Our Ladyís role in this mystery
- Experience in the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in prayer and contemplation
- An awareness of the goodness in all of Godís creatures, with hope and optimism for the sinners
- Fraternity and peace achieved via Reconciliation with Christ and others
- Solidarity with Franciscan brothers and sisters and with the poor
While a vow of poverty isnít realistic for most of us (for starters, are you ready to give up this computer?), we can still endeavor to adopt some of the points of Franciscan spirituality by being kind to every person and every animal. We can further heighten our own spiritual practice by being grateful for and admiring all that Franciscans have given up in order to help others.
