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The Franciscans

The Franciscans are one of the principal monastic orders of the Roman Catholic Church. They were founded by St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). Francis came from a wealthy family, but he gave it all up to live a life of extreme poverty and hardship by following the gospel example of Jesus as literally and closely as he possibly could. He later became an important figure among any who valued nature or the environment because he tried to live as a "brother" with all of creation - calling animals, the moon, and even fire itself his "brother."

The Franciscan order has generally been characterized by rigid proverty and the collective ownership of very few material possessions. But even in Francis' lifetime there was a tension between the ideal of life of poverty and the practical realities which required some form of material stability. Following the ideal of poverty may be possible for a couple of individuals, but not for an institution - and his followers were becoming an institution.

Francis became the first person recorded to experience stigmata - mystially produced wounds which mirrored the same wounds suffered by Christ while being crucified.

One of the well-known Franciscan theologians was Saint Bonaventure (c. 1217-74). Originally born Giovanni di Fidanza, he entered the Franciscan order in 1238 or 1243. Like his contemporary Thomas Aquinas, he worked to integrate Aristotle's works with traditional Christian faith. In the 16th century, Bonaventure was declared a Doctor of the Church because of the importance of his works.

Every page of the Bible is a hymn to Christ

St. Augustine of Hippo, Bishop

c. 354-430 A.D

You have heard the account of the two disciples who met the Lord on the road to Emmaus and yet did not recognize him. When he met them, they had lost all hope of the redemption that is in Christ, they were convinced that the Master was dead like any other man, they did not realize that Jesus inasmuch as he is Son of God was still alive. According to them he had left this life without being able to return, like one of the many prophets.

Then the Lord revealed to them the meaning of the Scriptures. Beginning with Moses and quoting one prophet after another he showed that everything that he had suffered had been foretold.

After that, he appeared to the eleven disciples and they thought they were seeing a ghost. So Jesus let them touch him, the one who had let himself be crucified. He was crucified by his enemies and touched by his friends. He healed them all , the former of their wickedness, the latter of their unbelief.

Yet the Lord did not consider it was sufficient to allow them to touch him. He wanted to appeal to the Scriptures to confirm their hearts in the faith. He saw us in anticipation, who had not yet been born, who do not have a chance to touch Christ but do have the opportunity to read about him.

The Apostles believed because they had touched him. But what can folk like us do? By now Christ is ascended into heaven and will only return at the end to judge the living and the dead. On what base shall we build our faith, unless it be those Scriptures with which the Lord wanted to confirm the faith of those who touched him?

He revealed to them the meaning of the Scriptures and showed how it was necessary that the Christ should fulfil all that had been written about him in te books of the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms. The Lord went through the whole Old Testament. He seemed to span it all in his embrace.

The Scriptures are in fact, in any passage you care to choose, singing of Christ, provided we have ears that are capable of picking out the tune. The Lord opened the minds of the Apostles so that they understood the Scriptures. That he will open our minds too is our prayer.

(Translation by Thomas Spidlik, Drinking from the Hidden Fountain: A Patristic Breviary, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo, MI - Spencer, MASS, 1994)