More Than Personal
There are three things people typically avoid in conversations: money, politics, and religion. These topics often result in debates or arguments because they affect people in deeply personal and emotional ways. These reactions should actually be indicators that these are things people need to talk about more, not less, because they are so important to everyone. In order to avoid conflict, even the most fervent believers can feel a pressure to keep their faith and prayer life private. This spiritual secrecy is justified by the desire to not make anyone feel uncomfortable or to avoid “shoving beliefs down their throats.” However, faith is meant to connect people and serve as a visible witness to others. We can talk about our faith in a kind, loving, passionate way that avoids aggression, pressure, and anger.
"Faith is a personal act - the free response of the human person to the initiative of God who reveals himself. But faith is not an isolated act. No one can believe alone, just as no one can live alone. You have not given yourself faith as you have not given yourself life. The believer has received faith from others and should hand it on to others. Our love for Jesus and for our neighbor impels us to speak to others about our faith. Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith."
Catechism 166
There is no such thing as a private relationship with God. Each person has a personal relationship with Him, but every personal relationship is a unique expression and experience of a communal reality. No one can have faith alone. Each person is meant to express and experience their faith and their prayer life with others.
When people do not talk about their faith or try to have a private spiritual life, their faith can lack action. A person should not have a relationship with God simply for relationship’s sake. A relationship with God should be a joyful, lived response to His love. A person would never say, “Bobby/Mary is my best friend because I like the idea of having a best friend.” People enter into relationships because they want people to become part of their life, to influence who they are and how they spend their time.
Having a relationship with God is no different; it should influence how people act and how they spend their time on a daily basis. The life of a Catholic should look different from the rest of the world because they live in such a way that points beyond this world. There should be no such thing as an undercover or backseat Catholic. A person’s relationship with God should compel them to act, to respond to His love, to spread and defend the Gospel, and to serve others. If a person feels like their prayer life is something they keep to themselves or often feels disconnected, they will find the cure in Franciscan spirituality.
Franciscan Spirituality
The Franciscan way of life and prayer began with St. Francis of Assisi (c.1181-1226), the son of a wealthy Italian silk merchant, who gave up his affluent lifestyle for a life
of radical poverty and dependence on God. Saint Francis felt deeply connected to God in everyone and everything around him. In his famous prayer "The Canticle of the Sun", he characterized the sun and moon as “brother” and “sister.” This was not to propose a mythology; it was a recognition that a relationship with God should draw people out of themselves to encounter Him all around them.
G.K. Chesterton described St. Francis as a poet whose life was his poem. Saint Francis had a fascination with the life of troubadours (a person, or group of persons, who would typically travel around and sing songs, recite poems, or even act as "jesters" or early comedians) from a very young age. When he chose to devote His life to the Lord, He called himself and his companions, the Jongleurs de Dieu or “jesters of God”. Franciscan spirituality is a way of praying and living characterized by being a jester in the court of the Lord, serving Him joyfully no matter how foolish it seems to others. The spontaneous, passionate, creative, and adventurous spirit of St. Francis continues to define Franciscan spirituality today.
Franciscan spirituality compels those who practice it to put prayer into action through service to others. Saint Francis believed that he could not call himself a friend of Christ if he did not love and cherish everyone for whom Christ died.
A decisive moment in his life occurred on February 24th, 1208, the feast of St. Matthias, when he heard a proclamation from the Gospel of Matthew:
"As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave."
Matthew 10:7,9-11
Saint Francis devoted himself to that way of life, renouncing all earthly and personal endeavors to live with complete dependence on God. He chose a life of extreme poverty and renounced all attachment to earthly things. He lived alongside the poor and outcast people that he was called to minister to.
The spirituality of St. Francis proved attractive to many different people during his life and for generations after. They were from diverse backgrounds and some of them also became great saints.
- Saint Clare of Assisi befriended St. Francis as a teenager, and he helped her found a Franciscan order for women, known today as the Poor Clares.
- Saint Marianne Cope served the lepers in Molokai, Hawaii alongside St. Damien.
- Saint Benedict the Moor was the son of African slaves.
- Saint Alphonsa Muttathupandathu was the first woman from India to be canonized a saint.
All of them were Franciscans. All of them were willing to give up everything and follow in the humble footsteps of St. Francis.
Are You Franciscan?
The Franciscan way of life is radically different from what is idealized in the world, so it may seem intimidating or impossible at first glance. To adopt a Franciscan
spirituality does not mean a person has to renounce all of their possessions and live in a cave; it means adopting the spirit of St. Francis, one of unconfined freedom. Those who gravitate toward Franciscan spirituality tend to be more impulsive and have a flair for the dramatic or grand gestures, but they are often very creative and are always ready for a challenge or adventure. As a spirituality, this is most appealing to those who prefer a more spontaneous and flexible prayer life. Franciscans usually spend less time in personal prayer than other spiritual types because they experience their time serving others and in community as nourishment for the soul. They are also very focused on the present moment, always inquiring how God is moving and
compelling them to act in the here and now. Those who practice a Franciscan spirituality tend toward simple and informal dialogue with God. This spiritual type is also more inclined to charismatic prayer that is focused on relationship with the Holy Spirit. When it comes to Scripture, they prefer focusing on specific events in the ministry of Jesus rather than specific teachings. While reading, the best question for them to reflect on is “What is this compelling me to do?” They enjoy connecting with God by spending time outdoors in creation and in community with others. Franciscans tend to enjoy making sacrifices through the practices of fasting and almsgiving, and they find the Season of Lent particularly fruitful.
To begin exploring Franciscan spirituality, try being more spontaneous in prayer and speaking to God like a best friend. Pray at different times each day and in different places, spending time praying outdoors and with others as often as possible. Find ways to serve others in the parish or in the wider community as service and acts of mercy are some of the most life-giving sources of prayer for Franciscans. Find ways to create or pray in more tactile and artistic ways through music, drawing, visual, and performing arts. Try living more minimally, surrounded by less stuff. Practice simplicity and try to have a healthy sense of detachment from possessions and luxury. Instead of spending a large chunk of time in prayer, pray in short bursts throughout the day, taking a few deep breaths and repeating something simple like the name of Jesus or the sinner’s prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. For the Franciscan, simple words and gestures can have extraordinary results.
An Example of a Franciscan Lectio Divina
Begin by reading Matthew 10:7-13
"As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received;
without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter,
look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you."
Now, read it a second time while meditating on the following:
Imagine that Jesus is sending you on this mission right now in your own life. Think of your friends, family, neighborhood, and community. How can you live this out in those places where God has placed you?
Read Matthew 10:7-13 a third time, this time slowly and prayerfully. Pause a little longer between verses and details to give time for yourself to soak in the words. Once you have read through it a third time, reflect on what stood out for you. Write down any thoughts or observations you had during this time.
Finally, reflect on your experience using these questions:
• What stood out to you in this passage? How is God calling you to live this out?
• Where in your life do you need peace?
• Where in the world is peace needed? What can you do to help?
• What are some of your good qualities? How can you use them to bless others?
• Who in your life do you see God in the most? Why?
• Without naming or revealing who they are, think of the person you like the least and try to see God’s goodness, love, life, truth, and beauty in that person. What is at
least one way you see God in that person?
• What can you do this week to proclaim the kingdom of heaven and bring the power of Jesus to others? Try to have each teen think of a tangible thing they can do and make a plan of when they will do it.