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How did St. Francis of Assisi’s devotion to Jesus shape his way of life?
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St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis and Scenes from His Life, tempera on panel by Bonaventura Berlinghieri, 1235; in the Church of San Francesco, Pescia, Italy.
St. Francis of Assisi’s profound devotion to Jesus was the central force that shaped his life, driving him to imitate the life of Christ as literally as possible. This commitment manifested in several key ways:1
- Evangelical Poverty: Inspired by the Gospel account of Christ’s mission to the Apostles, Francis renounced all worldly possessions and family ties. He viewed absolute poverty not merely as an external state, but as a total denial of self, establishing it as the essential lifestyle for his order.21
- Apostolic Life: He sought to walk in the footsteps of Jesus by preaching repentance and the message of the kingdom, traveling as a mendicant without money, extra tunics, or sandals.21
- Devotion to the Human Jesus: His spirituality was deeply rooted in the humanity of Jesus, exemplified by his recreation of the manger at Greccio to celebrate the birth of Christ. This focus on the human Jesus and the Passion of Christ eventually led to his mystical experience of the stigmata, where he felt called to conform his mind and heart to the crucified Christ.3
- Universal Brotherhood: His love for Christ extended to all of creation, which he viewed as a mirror of God. He treated all creatures as brothers and sisters, believing he could not be a friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ died.1