A Few Words

by admin on October 4, 2009

The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin

Pauca Verba (a few words)

Eight hundred years have passed since St. Francis of Assisi walked through the streets in the towns and villages of Umbria, and traveled to other countries preaching the spirit of the Gospel: faith, love, humility, poverty and joy. He praised God for the whole of creation and talked even to animals about God’s love. That was a long time ago. And yet his teaching and especially his lifestyle are as inspiring today as they were eight centuries ago – perhaps even more so. When Pope John Paul II visited Assisi in 1993 to pray for peace in the former Yugoslavia, he said to the friars who had gathered around him at the tomb of St. Francis: St. Francis was certainly great in the thirteenth century. But we can say that he has become even more important since, and still is today. Here are some little insights into the gospel-way of Francis.

A Message of Peace and Penance

Francis was anxious to invite the whole world to repent and give it new life in Christ. So he told his companions, “Go and bring to all a message of peace and penance, that their sins may be forgiven. Be patient in trials, watchful in prayer, and never cease working. Be considerate in your speech, well-ordered in your actions and grateful to your benefactors. Remember that for all this an eternal kingdom is being made ready for you

Patience

We can never tell how patient or humble a person is when everything is going well with him. But when those who should co-operate with him do the exact opposite, then we can tell. A man has as much patience and humility as he has then, and no more.

True Love

Blessed that friar who loves his brother as much when he is sick and can be of no use to him as when he is well and can be of use to him. Blessed that friar who loves and respects his brother as much when he is absent as when he is present and who would not say anything behind his back that he could not say charitably to his face.

On the Perfect Way of Obedience

Francis used to say to his friars, “Dearest brothers, carry out an order at once, and don’t wait for it to be repeated. Don’t plead or object that anything in a command is impossible, for if I were to order you to do something beyond your strength, holy obedience would not fail to support you.”

Anxieties and Worries

By the anxieties and worries of this life, the devil tries to dull our hearts and make a dwelling for himself there. And so we must all keep close watch over ourselves or we will be lost and turn our minds and hearts from God, because we think there is something worth having or doing, or that we will gain some advantage

Private Prayer

The brothers and sister must guard with jealous watchfulness the times of private prayer. They must remember that communal worship is not a substitute for the quiet communion of the individual soul with God.

Judging Others

I warn all the friars and exhort them not to condemn or look down on people whom they see wearing soft or gaudy clothes and enjoying luxuries in food or drink; each one should rather condemn and despise himself.

Purity of Heart

A man is really clean of heart when he has no time for the things of this world but is always searching for the things of heaven, never failing to keep God before his eyes and always adoring him with a pure heart and soul.

Our Haven and Our Hope

You are love,

You are wisdom.

You are humility,

You are endurance.

You are rest,

You are peace.

You are joy and gladness.

You are justice and moderation.

You are all our riches,

And you suffice for us.

You are beauty.