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October 5, 2026Today, October 4th, we honor St. Francis of Assisi, on this centenary feast day of his day eight hundred years ago, in 1226. Proclaimed as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis by Pope Leo, the Franciscan spirituality still resonates profoundly within our Church to this day.
Francis by Pope Leo, the Franciscan spirituality still resonates profoundly within our Church to this day. He who was born into wealth and privilege, became disillusioned as a young man and upon hearing the voice of God—“Francis, rebuild my Church, which you see is falling in ruin”—began a conversion of faith. His poverty, passion for Christ’s teachings, simplicity, care for God’s creation, and service to the struggling, all reflected the Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God.” Francis would go on to establish the Third Order of Friars Minor, influencing many men and women to the vocation as a Franciscan, and countless other Christians inspired by their spirituality. I was privileged to be educated by the Franciscan Sisters from Milwaukee and Dubuque at St. Joseph School in my hometown. To this day St. Francis speaks to us as a Church, and individually on our journey of faith; specifically through seven aspects of his faith life, as illuminated by the Franciscan article, Why St. Francis Still Speaks to Us Today.
1.Humility. St. Francis renunciation of his possessions and privileges embraced a spirit of poverty so there would be“no walls between himself and God, not even the comfort of possessions.”He understood how pride could become the divider between the soul and grace. All blessings come from God, belong to God and returns to God. Where is God inviting me to simplify some aspect of my life?
2.Seeing God in all Creation. Francis saw creation— nature surrounding us—as a window into divine beauty, a reflection of God’s imminence and presence. In his Canticle of the Creatures, Francis calls us to consider how caring for creation is an act of worship.
”Pause again again within a day, to quietly and purposely notice some feature of God’s creation.
3.Love for the Poor and the Sick. A turning point came about for Francis—when he renounced his privileges—the moment he confronted a man with leprosy. Rather than fearing contamination he leaned forward and kissed the man’s hand, and the poor and hopeless became a door to further grace. He would see the face of Christ in the struggling, much like Mother Teresa. Whom do I find difficult to care for and understand; where God awaits to meet you.”
4.Joy in Simplicity. Francis knew that contentment comes not from having much, but from needing little. He would sing in the rain as he traveled, and smiled graciously even in times of hunger, and pray graciously for those who rejected him and his followers. Little by little when we declutter we have space for grace.“What possession(s) can I give away each month, and do so gratefully?
5.Willingness to Suffer for Christ. Francis saw in every pain, in each sacrifice an invitation to trust deeper. He did receive the stigmata—the wounds of Christ—but it was his simplicity of life that allowed him to trust in the sacrifices as a presence of meaning for life. His suffering was not a heroic endeavor but intimacy with Christ Jesus. What sacrifice or struggle keeps me from recognizing Jesus’embrace of my life’s purpose?
6. Brotherhood & Peace. Francis lived the Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”He would resolve misunderstandings between friars, and always attempted to invite the Lord’s healing grace within divided relationships. Once he crossed battle lines to meet with the Sultan of Egypt, not resolving all the differences but establishing a friendship and peaceful understanding.
n element of peace within my thoughts, my words or views shared, in my actions?6. Brotherhood & Peace. Francis lived the Beatitude,“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”He would resolve misunderstandings between friars, and always attempted to invite the Lord’s healing grace within divided relationships. Once he crossed battle lines to meet with the Sultan of Egypt, not resolving all the differences but establishing a friendship and peaceful understanding. “We live in a polarized society. Where can I bring an element of peace within my thoughts, my words or views shared, in my actions?7.Living in Prayer and Communion with God. When his peers asked how to pray, Francis replied simply,”Speak to God as a friend.”For Francis prayer was not a duty or obligation so much as it was a source of balance, of hope and purpose within daily life. Where do I find that solitude, even a moment, to be alone with God in prayer?
Pope Leo offers this prayer for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi:
“Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago went to meet Sister Death as a man of peace, intercede for us before the Lord. You recognized true peace in the Crucified of San Damiano, teach us to seek in Him the source of all Reconciliation that breaks down everywall. You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war and misunderstanding, give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries. In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers, witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ. Amen”
God Bless, Fr. Tim