Lausanne World Pulse – Urban Articles – Simple Spirituality. The Spirit of Francis: A Prophetic Sign of Hope in a Slum Community

By Christopher L. Heuertz
April 2008

A Deeper Understanding of the Call
One day, during worship, Francis received vocational clarity, finally realizing that it wasn’t the church building God had called him to rebuild. But in fact, it was the Body of Christ—the members of the worshipping community—that God was asking Francis to help restore.

He now knew that restoring the Church meant centering on those who were poor. It was an incarnational commitment to recovering the identity of Christ’s Church by bringing the vulnerable and the marginalized to the center. Committed to community, Francis identified companions. The early echoes of the order simmered in the hearts and minds of those who would eventually become the Franciscans. During the early days of the community’s formation, the brothers made three biblical commitments to poverty, generosity, and suffering.

Toward the end of his life, Francis went on retreat with some of the brothers. He was praying for a divine grace to identify with the passion of Jesus when suddenly an angel appeared from the heavens. The angel burned into Francis’ body what are now known to be the stigmata of Christ. The physical wounds of Jesus were miraculously imprinted on the hands, side, and feet of Francis. These wounds caused Francis tremendous suffering and constantly needed to be bandaged as they bled until the end of his life.

I think about Francis often. What was it in the life and imagination of this simple man from Italy that has inspired the Church throughout history? His prayerfulness? His commitment to poverty? His vocation of restoration? History tells us that it is all three.