 |
 |
We follow the spiritual traditions of St. Francis of Assisi, who founded in thirteenth-century Italy the religious order that still bears his name. The spiritual movement he began departed from the monastic tradition. Francis wanted his followers to recognize and celebrate the love and goodness of God in and among the people of God. Thus his first brothers traveled from place to place throughout western Europe preaching the goodness of God and calling the people to a life of conversion to the Gospel. Thousands were attracted to the joyful spirit and hopeful message of these brothers, and soon persons from all walks of life wanted to live this way. Eventually, convents of contemplative women were founded after the model of St. Clare of Assisi, an early follower of Francis’ way. People in secular life styles, married and single, also sought a form of life that would be appropriate to themselves. Eventually some of these followers also began to live in communities. Consequently, from Francis’ first vision arose a “three-fold” Order, each branch having its own particular way of following the Gospel in the spirit of Francis. |
St. Francis of Assisi In Francis’s day, many Christian laypersons were hungering for a more intense and authentic Gospel life. This desire took a variety of forms from individual lives of austerity to full-blown communities. Francis of Assisi, recognizing the spirit of his times, set in motion ways of living the Gospel that could be done in an orthodox way by anyone in any walk of life. Francis’s personal passion moved him to a total renunciation of worldly affairs, material possessions and domestic responsibilities. When brothers joined him, they formed a new religious Order that attracted great numbers of persons ripe for spiritual adventure. At the time of Francis’s death (1226), there were over 5000 friars traveling the roadways of Europe preaching penance. Their energy touched the lives of thousands of Christian people longing for such a message. However, not all could abandon their responsibilities to join the new Order. They soon asked for a formula by which to order their own lives along the same lines as the friars. Francis responded by giving them a guide for the Christian life. “To all he gave a norm of life, and he showed in truth the way of salvation in every walk of life” (Celano, Life of Francis 37). Francis first expressed this “form of life” in his First Letter to All the Faithful and later expanded it into a more comprehensive and eventually juridical document. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
116 8th Avenue SE, Little Falls, MN 56345
(320)632-2981m info@fslf.org