As we call to mind St. Francis of Assisi during this month-long celebration of his life and legacy, it is essential to remember that St. Francis was not a man who set out to make a name for himself, but instead, was a man who lived fearlessly for Christ, as all the saints before us have done and all the saints who walk among us continue to do. The Franciscan values that govern our institutions and organizations are embodiments of the unique ways in which St. Francis responded to God’s invitation to relationship. We cannot truly understand our Franciscan values if we do not acknowledge that these characteristics that we revere in Francis, his exuberant joy, servant heart, and devout faith, were born from a deep love of Jesus Christ and led to a life modeled on His example. As our society continues to relegate religion and promote relativistic attitudes, it is harder to give God, the Church, or discussions about faith a seat at the table. In an attempt to stay relevant with the times, what is often promoted are watered down pieces of the truth that fail to point beyond corporeal realities. For example, service is one of the values that is often highlighted as a hallmark of the Franciscan charism, as St. Francis was very passionate about serving the poor. But why did Francis do this? Francis threw himself into a life of radical poverty and service because he saw his beloved, the Lord, in the face of the rejected, the overlooked, and the marginalized. If we fail to highlight St. Francis’ “why,” I believe we do a disservice to our communities that treasure and uphold these values. Ceasing to call attention to the fact that it was Christ who was at the center of Francis’ mission fails to give the members of our communities the whole truth, that it was the love of Christ that enflamed Francis’ heart and Christ’s love in return that empowered him to charitably subvert offensive and unjust societal norms. We often stop at the life of St. Francis, without pushing beyond our earthy circumstances to reveal it was the light of Christ shining through the work of this saint. While our aspirations to imitate St. Francis are admirable, let us remember the one who Francis himself sought to imitate. It is wonderful that many members of our communities tolerate, celebrate, and/or love our Franciscan identity, but I believe that there is more work to be done to heal the wounds that surround the external and internal perception of what it means to possess a Catholic identity, to love God fearlessly, and to live it out in the world as St. Francis once did.
Riley Lochhead, M. A.
Hilbert College
Campus Minister,
Office of Mission and Equity
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