FSA Spirituality

Franciscan Way of Living

Broadly, the Franciscan way is to live knowing that all of creation is the place to encounter God. Concrete manifestations involve living more simply on the earth and with other people in order truly experience and savor God’s gift of life.

The things of this world are God-like just as they are and reveals God to us in their specificity. Therefore, to deepen our relationship to God we need regular, attentive contact with the world in its simple, humble state. We can forget about a search for things and people that are worthy of love or that will make us happy. The world is full of signs of God’s presence, with God telling us what we need to hear through the bits and pieces we encounter in a day. In an ongoing way we are converted to the gospel through God’s daily work inside and outside of us.

Francis’ first biographer, Thomas of Celano describes the way of Francis like this:

Who could ever express the deep affection Francis bore

for all things that belong to God?

Or who would be able to tell

of the sweet tenderness he enjoyed

while contemplating in creatures

the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator?

From this reflection

he often overflowed

with amazing, unspeakable joy

as he looked at the sun,

gazed at the moon, or observed the stars in the sky.

Article used with permission by Janine Walsh,
Communications Coordinator, Franciscan Action Network

Submitted by Marita Flynn, OSF