THEMES IN FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

I have been an official Franciscan since 2001 when I joined my community- the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. One part of Franciscan spirituality that deeply resonates with me is the wonder of the Incarnation. Francis was so amazed that the mighty God of the Universe would become a helpless infant. He contemplated the Incarnation throughout his life, but he could never get over his awe. God became humble; God chose to be human. The Humility of God is a Franciscan concept that sounds like a contradiction. But Francis was able to see the truth in this. Jesus came to earth as an infant born of a woman, like the rest of us humans. He was not born into privilege, in fact, very much the opposite. He wasn’t even born at home. He was born in another city, Joseph’s ancestral home. And why would God send His son to earth as a human? Because He loves us. Francis knew this. He knew that love is God and God is love. God’s love is the driving force of the universe. It is why there is a universe. God created people and a place to send His Son. Christmas is the Feast of the Incarnation. Francis noticed that people had forgotten why Christmas is so special, so at Greccio, he recreated the birth of Jesus in 1223 with some live animals. The townspeople saw anew the wonder of baby Jesus.

Francis inspired the Nativity scene, which many of us put out at Christmas. My family always had a Nativity set out for Christmas, which I looked forward to helping put up every year. As a child, I connected with baby Jesus because I knew I had been a baby and knew my younger brothers as babies. Christmas always had a sense of wonder, a baby in a manger with His parents, animals and angels singing. Christmas is my favorite day. Later, I heard that Easter was the “most important” feast day because Jesus died to save us. I was sad because Christmas wasn’t as important, but it didn’t feel right to me. Later, with some Franciscan study, I realized that it wasn’t a contest. Christmas is important because of the Incarnation. God loves us so much that He became one of us, so we could experience God on our human level. God is not only an omnipotent, transcendent Being, Jesus became a human. Franciscan spirituality is one of joy. God loves each of us more than we can ever imagine. He loves us just as we are. If all of us lived as the Beloved of God that we are, imagine what a world it would be.

Sister Gayle Rusbasan, OSF
Campus Minister
University of St. Francis
Joliet, IL

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The manger scene evokes our memories of Christmas: sharing delicious holiday dishes with family members, sitting around a Christmas tree with hot cocoa, or roasting chestnuts on an open fire. However, on this night, St. Francis did not partake in the feasting typical at Christmastime in the Middle Ages. Instead, he desired to “…enact the memory of that babe who was born in Bethlehem: to see as much as is possible with [his] own bodily eyes the discomfort of [Christ’s] infant needs, how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and ass standing by, he rested on hay”. Thus, the manger scene was born. On Christmas Eve in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi had the first live manger scene created in the town of Greccio. He gathered the townspeople from near and far to celebrate Mass and recall the origins of Christ’s humble birth. Francis saw Our Lord’s birth as fundamental. His Birth is intimately tied to His Death. The two bookends of Christ’s Life on earth form the basis of Francis’ spiritu...

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Franciscan Month Reflection Series

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